A Year to Detective, Part 2
by Essai
Summary: Judy Hopps is now a trainee Detective, and is now moving on to supposedly greener pastures. Nick Wilde, meanwhile, is having difficulty coping with the stress of his position. With time to kill before they have to get back into the thick of things, there are issues that need to be cleared up first.
1. Chapter 1: Making Up For Past Favors

**Chapter 1: Making Up For Past Favors**

 **(A/N: Hello everyone! This new storyline is set after my first story, A Year to Detective. Maybe this one will actually be good!).**

* * *

Today wasn't a bad day, not by a long shot. The breeze was good, the food he had made Judy pay for was good, and he was having fun picking at her pet peeves. It was a great stress reliever.

Nick Wilde leaned back in the chair, paws behind his head. "Hmm," he said. " What if it went- 'The alluringly-red fox bravely strode forward, fighting through the hordes and hordes of crazed rats to reach his goal. His alluring green eyes flashed with anger, and-'"

Judy interrupted him, again. " I really need you to stop doing that, Nick.," she said. "Please. You aren't good at writing, leave it to all the fangirls." She sipped at her shake, glancing out at the traffic whizzing by. " Eyes don't flash, first thing, and if you really want to show how alluring you are, you gotta get into _detailed descriptions,_ not just repeat the same adjective over and over _._ Trust me."

Nick raised an eyebrow, stabbing a fork back into his pie and carving off a piece. He took a large bite, and shook his head. Judy frowned. " Listen, Ace Detective," Nick said. " I know how to get someone's heart going, and with all those horrible stories that you make me read, I think I get how I'm supposed to phrase things."

Judy muttered something nasty, and Nick focused back on his pie, eating up the last few chunks while Judy went to toss her shake. Considering she called for a check and left a tip while he kept eating, she probably wanted to get going. It might have also been her standing by the door and glaring at him. Nick sighed- he just wanted to enjoy his time off, and she had to rush things for no reason. They had earned their break, why did she always want to go off running?

He wiped his mouth and followed her back onto the main street. It was around one, as far as he knew, so traffic was especially dense. The car smoke really didn't mesh with the café smells, and the folk pushing him around on the sidewalk didn't help his mood any. Judy wasn't really waiting up for him, taking the opportunity to slip through the crowds and up the street. Seemed like they were going for a walk.

Luckily, he was able to catch up to her. Tucking his paws into his pockets, he tried to meet Judy's gaze. She wasn't giving him much attention today, unfortunately, and that hurt his feelings more than he wanted to admit. She knew that he was joking, didn't she? Was she still mad about him lying about something that had turned out well?

Only one way to tell. Once they made it to the crosswalk, he spoke up. " You still mad at me for the Detective thing?" She focused on the other side of the street, one foot tapping. " Hey, we came out of that okay, and you got a big boost out of that whole deal without getting hu- "

She crossed the street without him, moving much faster than she needed to. That seemed to be it then. He had been hoping that she would have gotten over it by now, but hoping apparently wasn't enough. He trotted after her, and eventually, she got tired enough to stop powerwalking down the street. She did talk this time, sparing him a glance every few seconds. She wasn't smiling, though.

" Nick," she said slowly. " The problem is- Do you get what's going to happen when we finally get to go back to work? That we won't get to be around each other nearly as much?" She hoped he wouldn't take this as a joke. She could stand for a serious word from him today.

Nick sighed. " I know," he said. " Trust me, I know. But this can end up doing a lot more good than harm, and yes I said that right." She scowled at him, again. " Partner," he said. " Remember that we can't be super-close at work all the time anyway- we can save it up during work and let it all out over the weekend together. We just gotta shift all the time together to a different day."

That was an odd look on her face, he noted. " Hey," he said. " Just think about it. If I could make it up to you on those days, doing…" he winced, knowing he would regret this. "…doing whatever you want, would that at least make up for the split?"

Judy leaned against the wall of a store, lost in thought. Nick still owed her for everything- lying to her to take down a gang meant that he had a _lot_ to make up for. And now she was going to have to leave him behind, and he'd be stuck with the Gang boys all day… She didn't _have_ to take the Detective job, but it was a good opportunity. That was the confusing part- she was angry for the lie and happy for the promotion, sad for the transfer.

Those thoughts wouldn't do anything stuck in her head. She focused back on Nick and straightened herself up. " Nick," she said. " That _sounds_ like it could work, but it's- it's just hard knowing that you'll be gone soon. That I'll be working with someone new, you'll be with a bunch of folk that you're probably all friends with…"

Nick started laughing at that, shaking his head, earning bemused glances from folk walking by. " Friends?" he said. " It's hard to make good friends with people when you aren't trusted, partner. You would think that getting stabbed by rats would mean-" He stopped himself, and turned his gaze back up the street. " No friends yet- it'll come with time though. You know how friendly I am, anyway." He shrugged.

She stepped in front of him. "Hey, don't you act like I didn't hear that. What happened when you guys cleared out that hideout, Nick?" She crossed her arms. He tried to avoid looking at her, but she was more stubborn this time around, and he eventually sighed and focused on her.

"What happened at the hideout?" Nick echoed, a glum look in his eyes. " Well, Detective-" that came out harsher than she expected. "- I did my job, as a good and noble police officer would. I just- I didn't get as much support as I had hoped for, that's all." He shook his head, arms crossed across his chest. " You would think taking down a major crime boss would get you some…" He sighed, and looked down at the sidewalk. " You see why I don't like telling you? It makes me _think_ , Judy, and thinking gets me into all sorts of moods."

There he went again. During the whole gang-bust, he'd been acting all out-of-sorts, but he'd slowly been getting back to his usual self. She wasn't sure if these moods of his were a leftover of that, or if he was just opening up again, in his own way.

Judy poked him in the chest, and he looked up to see her grinning at him. " A good friend gets you out of them, though- or are you not used to that?" Her eyes were bright and cheerful, he noticed. That same nice shade of purple that he… admired. There was a lot to admire about her, and that annoyed him plenty. It was that same mix of emotions again, and it had been easy to push it away before- she was his boss, they were working together, and she got on his nerves- but things would be different, and his brain knew that.

A part of him knew that he had no reason to hide anything- not from Judy, at least. But the other sides of him were… apprehensive. He wasn't afraid, he told himself. Just apprehensive- a nice, big word to cover up his feelings.

He had been staring for a while now, and he jerked his head back up once he realized that. Judy, thankfully, didn't say anything about it, choosing instead to sigh and step beside him.

"If it means anything, even though a part of me is mad, I still admire you for all that work." she said softly. " Come on, let's walk a bit- talk when you feel like it."

They walked for a bit longer, at this point just walking aimlessly and enjoying the company. They talked about the weather, the random tourist that would walk around confused, complain about long hours and annoying people. Judy eventually led the conversation back to where she wanted it, though.

They found themselves in the residential part of town, near a bench. Judy sat down, stretching and sighing. Nick sat down beside her. " So," she said. "We've got a week off, Nick. I feel like people haven't been appreciating you enough, with all that complaining you've done. How about I try and spend that week doing something nice for you? Pay you back?"

Nick looked skeptical. " And what do I have to do in return? I can't get you promoted again, you know." He stretched his back out, watching families and couples walk by.

Judy leaned closer to him, smiling. " Well," she said. " Let me treat you nice, and maybe, you just tell me what's going in that head of yours. Share those deep dark secrets that you don't want anyone to know." She scooted close to him, trying her best pleading look- ears down, paws cupped near her face, eyes wide. It worked well enough- he was at least looking at her now. She still couldn't place that expression on his face.

Nick sighed. " I did say I'd do whatever you wanted on our days together…" he muttered. " But you can't push me if I don't want to talk!" he said playfully, turning his body towards her. If a week goes by, then you can't complain that I didn't say anything! " She nodded, and he felt relieved. Do something nice for the bleeding-heart detective and she could focus on the important things. This would be easy, over quick, and he'd get the respect he deserved from her.

Well, he already got plenty of respect from her. She was trying to help, he'd argue with himself later. Let her try, and maybe it'll turn out to something good. Not like there was anything to lose, right?

It only took four days for him to regret that. Very much.


	2. Chapter 2: Wasn't An Excuse At All

**Chapter 2: Wasn't An Excuse At All**

 **(A/N: Chapter 2 of Part 2! Is it up to snuff, everyone? Hopefully it shows improvement!)**

Operation Pester Nick Until He Shares His Secrets (better name pending) was not going very well for Judy, but as far as Nick could see, that was her own fault. She was the one that wanted to go and study for her tests all day. He'd been sitting around for a half hour, watching her squirm around a pile of packets and books, writing away. Leaving would have been the smart thing to do, he knew, but he felt bad about walking out on her like that. So he talked- Judy had tried to block out his comments for a while now, but he was more stubborn than her. He just needed the right tack.

He looked around her desk, noting the odd scribble and nine-month old family photos, a bag of takeaway sitting at the edge. Otherwise, there were random books and that silly little carrot pen... Oh. That'd work.

" Aw, come on." Nick grabbed the pen off the desk, walking around and rolling it in his paws. " It'd be a good idea! We walk around, late at night, with this dumb thing recording and BAM! We end up in some horrible, life-threatening case again after hearing some suspicious talk." Nick laughed, and Judy sat up from her pile of books and notes to try and grab at him.

Nick stepped back, knocking into the apartment wall and rolling his eyes- this place was way too small. " Come on!" he said. " Don't you want to crash a train-car again? Almost get frozen to death, implicate some city official in a crime they didn't do... Most of that stuff was almost fun!"

He took a closer look at the pen. " Hey, is there anything recorded on here? Some deep dark secret that-" Judy snatched it away from him, letting it sit in her lap as she settled back into her bed.

She kept glaring at him over her notes- he wasn't sure sitting back next to her was going to go well. So he leaned against the wall. " Hey," he said lightly. " I'm the one supposed to be sharing my secrets- why can't I figure out any of yours? That's a double standard."

Judy grunted, and Nick sighed. " I'll talk if we do something fun, you know. Can we have fun on our vacation, please?" She ignored him. " Come on!" he pleaded. "Let's go bowling, or go and get some drinks at-"

She glanced up from her notes. " I could use a good drink, actually. Calm my nerves down," she said. " Right? That's a good way to relax. "

Nick snorted. " You act like you actually drink." he said.

Judy scowled, sitting up straight. " I drink plenty!" she said.

Nick shook his head. " You don't drink." he said. " We go eat out, and you always get water or some sort of shake..."

She put her notes down, grinning at him. " I've got a family hundreds of folk big, all born around the same time." she said. " Everyone turns legal around the same time, and every party you have to drink with them... You pick up a tolerance, a habit."

She was joking, she had to be. He had never seen her drink , and they were always together, for crying out loud! This dull bunny, who did nothing but sit and-

" Nick," she said, having walked over. " I'm not _that_ boring. What do you think I do when I'm not with you?"

He rubbed his neck, shaking his head. " You read horrible books and watch the worst movies on TV." he said. " There isn't any booze in this apartment- don't try and trick me."

She laughed. " Maybe I hide it from you. Maybe I'm at a friend's house or I go out with someone else." She was more than a little surprised when Nick started frowning. Was he jealous?

She stepped closer to him, far enough that he had to look down.  
"Well," she said. " It couldn't hurt to go out for a bit, sit somewhere and talk." Nick nodded slightly as she spoke. " But where would we go, Nick? Where would a boring bunny like me have fun with Mr. Alluring Fox?" That last part came out as a joke, or at least it was supposed to. It just made him look smug.

He grinned down at her, putting his paws on her shoulders. "Trust me. I've got ideas."

* * *

" This place looks pretty happening, doesn't it?" Nick craned his head up towards the sign outside- Galaxy. It was small, but there were tiny places that had some really nice atmosphere. The music was always good, nice place to dance and let off steam.

Judy craned her head up towards the sign outside- Galaxy. It looked pretty tiny, and she wasn't too sure how much she'd enjoy being stuck in a cramped little building like that. It looked pretty full, too, with all these mammals lounging around outside. She hadn't smelled that much liquor in a while, either, not since she'd been home. It was enough to prevent her from teasing Nick for using the word 'happening'.

It was only five in the afternoon, though. Which is why they walked a few minutes down to the restaurants. Nick said something about her being no fun, but he was following.

Nick decided to be boring and go for a fruit salad, and so did Judy. They ate silently for a little bit, Judy complaining about her study-load after a while. She went on about case studies, techniques, psychology, until the waiter came by asking if they wanted to look at the liquor. Nick glanced at Judy inquisitively, and she nodded after a second. Again, they were boring, and got light beers.

Judy looked a bit shy, in Nick's eyes. He took a small sip, smiled at her. " Don't worry," he said genially. " the bill is on me- go ahead and get the harder stuff, show me what farm life taught you. " Judy gave a small smile, glancing around- hesitating. Nick softened his voice. " Drink what you want. You've still got water, don't you?" She sipped at her water, smile wider.

She'd been trying to impress him then. It was cute, but he wasn't keen on the logic behind it.

" So," he said, picking at his food. " I guess those farm parties weren't always super-fun for you, huh?"

" Erm," she said, ears low. " I never liked the taste- too bitter, too much room for embarrassment. Once you have all those people crowding around you, begging you to be a good cousin or sister and drink or take shots with them... You know? I... I'm _supposed_ to enjoy it, but I don't get it. The fun just doesn't click."

Nick nodded. " Sounds like peer pressure," he said. " Well. As long as you know, I ain't gonna do that to you- _making_ you do something isn't right." He sounded like a moron, he thought. Trying to be mushy was hard.

Judy looked interested now. " You know a lot about peer pressure, Nick?" she bit into her salad, fork waving.

Nick nodded. " Gangs Division likes to test new members," he said, "especially when the new guy is a former criminal mastermind that's tiny and barely a predator." He chuckled a little.

Judy frowned. " That's not fair!" she said. " You've worked hard, and you didn't do anything horrible while you-"

Nick sighed, eyes downcast. " I wasn't a model citizen." He said flatly. " I haven't told you that much about me for a reason."

Judy shook her head. " No, you're a good mammal that deserves better. Someone bad wouldn't be hiding that kind of stuff, or work to change it, or get other people ahead…"

Nick looked back up at her. " Maybe, but the brain is a nasty thing, huh?" he said. " All those negative thoughts…" He shook his head angrily. " No, we're here to relax. I'm glad you're here, and I'm happy we have a few more days of vacation…"

Nick went back to eating, and Judy sat there thinking. Letting him stay in that funk would be no good- but how to get him out of it?

* * *

" It's dumb, I know," she said. " People always tell me so. You probably think I'm just some nerdy shut-in that doesn't have any fun."

They crossed a street, not focusing on where they were headed.

" Well," said Nick. " You're a nerd, sure, but that doesn't keep you from being cool, or interesting. Why would I get you that promotion if I didn't think you were right for the job, huh?"

" For free favors?" she said weakly, smiling. He was definitely happy- his eyes were full of excitement. Or was it passion?

" I did it," he said. " Because someone stubborn enough to get me here, and smart enough to get herself this far, deserves better than a foot beat in a dull part of town. You'd be wasted on patrol- let the brass see how good you are."

Judy shook her head. " But you helped me get here. I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for-"

" I helped," he said. " But you followed through, kept your head high even when I belittled you. You kept that passion to help, to succeed, and- and to me, that's..." He sighed, frustrated. " ... Cool. You're really... cool, in my eyes. Someone that's not afraid to be themselves no matter what. "

Judy eventually found her voice. " I told you though, about the peer pressure... I don't always live up to that cool. I give in, to make people happy..."

Nick shook his head. " To me, at the end of the day, that pressure isn't you, just people being pushy. And you make up for those... lapses."

They stopped to rest their feet, leaning against a wall. They stayed silent for a while, both of them musing about what the other had said.

Nick sighed. " Ugh. I see what your plan is." he said teasingly. " Get me out, get me loose-lipped enough to open up and share all those feelings I keep locked away... All you wanted was a look at my feelings and free compliments."

Judy rolled her eyes, smiling a little. " It worked, though." They fell silent for a moment, until she spoke up again. " You know, Nick," she said. " That you can come talk to me about anything, no matter how dumb. I might even listen." She teased.

Nick was busy looking back the way they had come. " Hmm," he muttered. " I'll keep that in mind. Now can we have some real fun, please? No more moping and mush."

They had started walking back, managing to run into an enthusiastic fan a block down. A buck rabbit, eager-eyed and with eyes too focused on his partner, by Nick's estimation. A dark-furred buck with brown eyes, smile wide.

" Miss Hopps!" he said, reaching for a handshake hesitantly returned. " I heard so much about you, ma'am, and it looks like the rumors were true! You look even nicer in person, if I do say so myself, and I-"

" What do you want?" Nick said. " We have an appointment soon, you know." Judy elbowed him in the side, and he sighed.

Judy smiled at her admirer. " Ignore him. What were you going to say?" The buck nodded his head, glancing between her and Nick.

"Well," he said. " You two helped clear up a slum-lord, right? It's all folk can talk about where I live… And I was hoping, erm…" He was avoiding Nick's glaring eyes now. "… That you two might want to spread some more goodwill? We don't have a slum issue, no gangs, really, but the parents were hoping you could talk to their kids, Miss Hopps. Keep them on the right path early. "

Nick shrugged. " We're on vacation, no can-"

" We can take a look at it soon." Judy said. " We have to follow proper procedure, sir. Otherwise, we could get into trouble." The buck lowered his gaze down, sighing and shaking his head.

" I thought…" he began. "…. I thought that you worked for the good of the small folk, Officer. Could you at least come and take a look at the neighborhood tonight, just get a lay of the land? Please? Lots of folk want to meet the hero from Bunnyburrow. " He glanced up at her, a small smile on his face. " You'd be helping children out, families…"

Nick muttered something about cheap tricks, and Judy sighed. The rabbit looked hopeful.

The two of them took some time to conference, turning around and whispering. " Could be bad news." Nick said. Judy shrugged. " All we have to do is go in and look around for now." She said. " We go, report to the brass on the situation, and they'll probably send us in just to talk to the kids. Simple. No need for sneaking around like before." Nick grunted thoughtfully, nodding after a while. " Just to look. I'm not in the mood for trouble."

They turned back to the rabbit. " It'd be nice to have a name and a place, pal." Nick said. " Where are we going? What time did you promise everyone we'd be there? "

The rabbit stood up straighter, eyeing Nick up and down. "Well, um," he said. " Downtown, just a few blocks from here. I told them eight." He paused. " You, um, sir, don't need to come. Most people just wanted Detective Hopps, to be perfectly honest. Not that you aren't-"

Judy shook her head. " He comes or I'm not going." She said firmly. The rabbit looked back and forth between them, nodded slowly, and gave them the address.

Nick hoped it would be quick- for once, having a quiet vacation would be nice.


	3. Chapter 3: Nicer Form of Living

**Chapter 3: A Nicer Form of Living**

 **(A/N): Hi everyone! I'm going to try something- keeping the wordcount low, around 1500 or so words a chapter. No one likes blocks of text, and I want you guys to enjoy what I write as much as possible in the limited time everyone has. Content will just be spread across more chapters. I hope it's an improvement! Any complaints or comments, feel free to let me know!**

* * *

Judy and Nick promised to be there at eight, so they showed up at 7:45, finding themselves in the more upscale part of Downtown. They walked past trimmed box-gardens, families with more jewelry and accessories on than either of them was used to seeing. Both Nick and Judy felt out of place in their tees and shorts. Most of the residences around here were townhouses, rent running at a rate as much as twenty times as Judy's.

Nick glanced down at the slip of paper again, then back up at the addresses over the doorways. " The white one, I think." They paused in front of the stairs down, glancing at the small garden, and the SUV parked behind them- Judy noticed it was this year's model. The house looked new, freshly painted. She could count at least five rooms from here.

Judy knocked on the door, someone coming to greet them after a moment of waiting. A doe rabbit, eyes warm and inviting, eagerly invited them inside.

* * *

Nick sat down on the loveseat, grateful that the furniture was able to fit him. He looked over to the room entrance, at the rabbit still taking him in. Judy had been whisked away by another doe, somewhere- apparently, they had something important to talk about.

" Hello," Said the standing rabbit. " What brings you here,... sir?" The doe stared at him, confused. She was awfully skinny, small even for a rabbit- Judy was a half-head taller.

Nick put on his best smile, paws resting on his lap. " See," he said. " Me and Detective Hopps were invited to come and speak to you all about... Whatever it is you all wanted us for." He glanced around the room, noting the paintings on the wall, current magazines on the table, fresh plants on clean desks. " Although, it seems like you all have everything in order."

The rabbit looked pleased, far as he could tell. Dig and learn, then. He leaned forward a little, trying to look less imposing. " So, ma'am." he said. " What could it be that you fine folk require?"

She looked slightly surprised, giving him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. " Well," she said. " Children these days are so... misguided, shall we say. They get into all sorts of horrible things because they have no one to model proper behavior for them. Officer Hopps-" she paused, wincing a little. "- erm, the two of you have a reputation for leading the lost to the right place."

Nick nodded, and she looked him up and down, eyes pensive. " I'm curious," she said slowly. " What's your level of education? "

Nick tilted his head slightly, keeping a small smile on his face. " The detective and I have the same level of schooling, miss." He said. " What does my education have to do with wanting to help?"

The answer came quickly. " Oh, I just wondered what kind of education our fine officers received." She said. " Am I right in saying that... you two went to good schools as well?"

Nick almost sighed, settling for sitting up straight and adjusting in his seat. " Effort accounts for a lot of it." he said. " My partner would tell you much of the same, I think." He wished she would stop questioning him, find a seat instead of standing in the doorway.

She opened, then shut her mouth. She took a moment to think, then wrung her paws. " What would you speak to the boys about, then? I was hoping they could hear what the world is really like... There's just so many dangers out there and you know that children can be the most impressionable things- all sorts of different temptations-"

Nick interrupted her. " I'd discuss what's out there on the street, how to avoid it. Drugs, gangs. Professionally, of course. Ma'am. "

She nodded. " Could you make sure to emphasize what led to that? If they grow up thinking that they can do nothing and coast by in life..."

Nick swallowed, squeezing his paws together. " You want me to tell them that those kinds of mammals are lazy?"

She nodded. " They would find something better if they gave any effort or had the intelligence," she said earnestly. " Didn't you say you made it here by effort? You rose out of bad places on your own merits, didn't you?"

Nick stayed silent.

The rabbit smiled, clasping her paws together. " Well," she said. "that's more than I was expecting, Officer. I'm sure the boys will love working with you."

He excused himself as quickly as he could.

* * *

" So you're Judy Hopps!" Tabitha said. " You look so different in person, you know- the TV makes you look so much taller..." Tabitha, the homeowner, looked her up and down, sizing her up. She was a very thin doe, with green eyes that seemed very bright

Judy glanced back down the hallway to the living room, noting the other doe hovering at the door inside. " Is there a reason that Nick- that Officer Wilde went somewhere else?"

Tabitha nodded, a small frown on her face. " Well," she said, leading Judy to the kitchen. " We just wanted to see how he'd be dealing with rabbits. I know it's uncomfortable for a lot of predators to work with us."

Judy took a seat on a stool, shaking her head when Tabitha offered her water. " My partner has plenty of experience working with all sorts of mammals," Judy said. " He happens to be very good at making all sorts of friends."

Tabitha looked surprised. She took a seat across from Judy. " That's very interesting." She said. " You wouldn't believe some of the rumors about that fox, Officer. Is he really on the force, or is he just a…. a liaison from some street group?"

Judy sighed. "You wanted me to talk to the neighborhood children, right?" she said. " We came here just to look, for now. I _might_ find time to talk if you could change your tone about my partner."

The tone quickly changed after that, Tabitha preferring to talk about the positives about her neighborhood- indoor gyms, wonderful community events, and some of the brightest kids in Zootopia, if you'd believe it.

Judy discovered that night how much she hated this kind of small talk. She suspected that she'd need something next time to keep from falling asleep.

* * *

She figured that Nick wouldn't be very happy, and they weren't outside long before she was proven right.

" They're so nice," Nick said quietly. " I felt so welcome, really. The sister almost offered me water, I think."

Judy bit her lip, watching him out of the corner of her eye. " Tell me about it."

He glanced up at the night sky, craning his head towards invisible stars. " I think we'll be able to see some stars tonight. Maybe we'll see a constellation or two, get to feel like-"

" Nick." She said. " I'm here to listen, I told you." They walked for a few minutes in silence, long enough that Judy was worried they would reach her apartment without him talking. But he eventually did say something once they were a block away from her place. They stopped in front of a dilapidated storefront covered in old posters and flaking signage.

Nick sighed. " Is this what I'm working my tail off for? The kind of folk that stares at you like you're about to jump at them, that act like they know more than you… Then they beg you to take care of their spoiled kids because they don't know what they're doing." Nick wrung his paws roughly. " I get a bunch of random questions because everyone expected to talk to the big hero, the one that did all the work saving the city and cleaning up the slums, right? The big hero who wouldn't…" He stopped, shaking his head.

Judy nudged him slightly, and he _hmmph_ -ed. " Go ahead, Nick." She said.

Nick sighed. " Who wouldn't be where she was without my help." He looked at her, searching her eyes. " I helped with both those cases, didn't I? I gave you leads, I told Bogo to back off, I got the detective folk to give you a chance… And what do I get? What do I get for keeping things going? "

Judy stayed silent. It was a risk, she knew, but venting happened rarely for Nick. Let him get it out, she decided.

Nick looked down the street, stuffing his paws into his pockets. " I work so hard, every day, and I get treated like some big dumb savage. Do you know how that feels?" he shook his head. " What am I working for? To keep those idiots in their bubble? To let them have an excuse not to parent their kids? "

Judy waited a moment, seeing if he was going to speak up again, and moved closer to him, and Nick crossed his arms, scowling. " Nick," she said softly. " You want respect, right? So why don't we work to prove those folk wrong? Show them you're more than they think-"

" You want me to babysit the kids? Really?" Nick huffed, shaking his head. " Sappy speeches aren't going to work all the time, you know."

" I want you-" she stepped closer, moving his arms apart. "- to prove these people wrong, and get some recognition. Not me getting all the praise for half the work. Okay? Maybe you'll find something and this will end up being a big break- a nice recommendation for medals, Detective, all sorts of things."

Nick thought for a moment, shrugging. " I'll do it for three days." He said. " At the very least, I can teach these kids a thing or two, save them from stupidity." Nick smiled, looking her up and down. " They might turn out to be like you, otherwise, and I couldn't take any more of that. "


	4. Chapter 4: Talk Less, Learn More

**Chapter 4: Talk Less, Learn More**

 **(A/N: Guys, the plot is here! Finally! Fair warning, this might be my last chapter for a week or so- Irma is coming, and the WiFi around here might go down. So, let me know how I did, so when I get back, I can give you all something worth the wait!)**

The streets in this part of town emptied out pretty fast at night- most people were inside their own homes or had gone a few blocks down to the stores and clubs. Right now, that meant it was just the two of them walking down the block. Nick appreciated the quiet, the faintly sweet smell from the box-gardens, being on clean streets for once. Every townhouse they passed was freshly painted, door-knockers shining, lights glowing in multiple windows.

Nick turned his head towards the ace detective. " Well," he said. " What's clicking in that head of yours? Anything for us dumb Gang cops?" Judy's forehead wrinkled, her eyes and ears lowering slightly. Nick smiled. " Ears, eyes, nose, right?"

Judy nodded. Leads didn't come from anywhere, which meant that the five senses were important. She had spent more time with Tabitha today, and that skinny sister of hers, while Nick had spoken to her kids. Judy didn't appreciate sitting down for that hour or two doing nothing, but she had managed to notice a few things.

* * *

The sister had gone away multiple times during their talks to check on something, and Judy had heard the front door open and shut during every trip. Tabitha had always tried to speak up louder, about something that Judy had already forgotten about. The sister- who had never introduced herself- had always come back after shuffling some papers in the hallway.

She'd been offered water again, and when Tabitha had gone to get a glass, Judy had a glimpse of medication in the adjacent cabinet.

" Oh," Judy had said. " You really don't need to get me water, ma'am. I'm fine." Tabitha had insisted, though Judy had let the glass sit in front of her.

Tabitha had leaned against the counter, speaking animatedly about her newest line of thought. "Six children, Miss Hopps! Six! In this city, that's more than enough- and where does my husband decide to go? _Business trips_ \- Oh, I know what those are, let me tell you!" The sister had ducked through the kitchen, skirting past the island to get a pill bottle from the cabinet, hurriedly washing a handul of pills down before skirting away.

Tabitha hadn't noticed, focusing on Judy. "He comes home so late!" she said. "Drunk! Smelling like some other doe! Thomas tries to say it just bled off from women he has meetings with, but I know that stench!"

Judy nodded knowingly. " What's your husband do?"

Tabitha wrinkled her nose. " He works for the city, as head of transit. Apparently he's been busy working on setting new prices for the upcoming year, and that's been taking all his time. Late nights in the office, with some slut, no doubt."

Judy straightened up a little, adjusting on her swivel-chair. " Oh, "she said sympathetically. " I'm sure it must be very hard on you. You must work very hard to keep him happy."

Tabitha sat up a little straighter, a smile forming on her face. " So hard!" she said proudly. " I take care of my children, I make sure all his visitors are comfortable, even... Ah, even some of the more important city officials, don't you know. The real powerful folk." Tabitha looked around furtively. " A lot of whispers, you know, about some of my guests."

Judy nodded. " Mhm. I'm sure you've had a lot of famous mammals in that _gorgeous_ living room of yours." She said approvingly. "Big stars, huh?"

Tabitha nodded gleefully, and Judy noticed that one of her eyes was twitching a little- in fact, her eyes were dilated. " Big. Stars." Tabitha said. " But none like you! You're someone a rabbit could look up to and call an inspiration!"

Judy hadn't been near someone this excited in a long time. It was a little unnerving, honestly, but Judy felt she was onto something.

They heard laughter from upstairs, and Tabitha frowned. " Oh, I should check on the boys," she said, running to the stairs. " I'll be right back, Miss Hopps, or Judy."

* * *

The sister had led Nick up the stairs, pointing to the left. " Those two rooms on either side-" she waved her arm around the hallway. " –are the boy's rooms. The one on the end belongs to my sister, so mind where you go. Sir." She led Nick to the first room on the left, explaining that the boys would be expecting him inside.

Nick knocked gently, and one gray buck opened the door. Nick gave him a hello, and the boy shuffled back towards the center of the room, towards a TV and a circle of chairs collected around it. Nick looked around, noting a pristine laptop on a paper-strewn desk in the righthand corner.

The other five boys turned around at the noise of him, and he almost laughed at the mix of excitement and nervousness on their faces- it made them look like they were going to be sick.

One of the chair bucks came up to him first, a darker gray than his brother. Dark Gray actually shook his paw. " Hey. Um. I'm Buck. " Nick fought to not roll his eyes. The kid continued. " Mom said you were gonna talk to us about the dangerous parts of town, right?"

Nick nodded. " She wants you all to be prepared." He said. " But, I can't help you guys out much if I don't know anything about you, right? So…" Nick ambled over to the chairs, saying hello and shaking paws with everyone. He studied the movie on the TV. " You guys watching a movie?" He sat on the floor in front of the chairs, legs crossed. " Is that… Are you guys watching _Mammalian Beauty_?" The boys nodded, but Nick could see that they were nervous.

Nick smiled at them. " Is this from your Dad's movie stash or something?"

Buck shook his head. " We borrowed it from a friend. Mom, um, doesn't let Dad have any of this stuff either." He wrung his hands, feet tapping against the carpeted floor. " It's not an, um, an… adult movie or anything. We just heard it was good."

Nick raised an eyebrow. " Lots of cute rabbit girls in this movie, far as I know. And more than one nude scene. " He let his voice take on a stern edge. " You all think that's appropriate at your ages?"

More than one of them spoke up with raised voices, either acting tough or stuttering. Some glanced to their door nervously, one of them going to shut it completely.

Nick chuckled, shaking his head. " It's fine, guys. I won't tell mom anything, I promise." He tilted his head. " Matter of fact, I did the same thing at your age. My mom wanted to kill me, let me tell you. I had to sneak out late at night to go see the 'special features' with a few people I knew… Not exactly the best hobby, but it was fun."

They were paying attention to him now. He looked at each of them briefly. " But," he said genially. " I came to talk about how life is out there! I could tell you guys stories, believe me- way more realistic than movies like this."

" Later," Buck said. " So, you're a fox, right? Um, me and my brothers were wondering what that's like- we have a report due on predators soon and we needed someone to interview." His brothers nodded eagerly, and Nick had to field this and many other odd questions that night- more than a few about Judy. He never did get to talking about gangs or drugs, though. He did manage to get them to laugh at one point, and that's what had brought Mom up. Unfortunately.

With the excuse that it was getting late and that the boys had school, Nick was shooed out. He and Judy had left then, and had taken the moment to find a place to sit and reflect.

* * *

The streetlights had turned on by now, casting an orange glow over their bench.

Judy looked back up from her feet, crossing her arms and focusing on Nick. " Mom might know some interesting folk, and I think her and her sister is hooked on something. Her husband, Thomas, he's working at City Hall, working late nights when he shouldn't be. Stuff we can look into, I think."

Nick grinned. " That _you_ can look into." He said. " I'm just here to look good and talk to her kids- her sheltered, hormonal, kids."

"Well," Judy said playfully. " I think you failed on that first one, Nick. There's a reason you haven't gone on a date in a while."

" Hmm," Nick rubbed his chin thoughtfully. " Too busy dealing with my pain-in-the-neck partner. Where do you wanna go from here, huh? Any thoughts, Ace?"

" They really want to keep me busy talking to them," Judy mused. " And you busy talking to the kids… But why would some rich housewife want me to talk to her out of nowhere?"

" Status?" Nick suggested. "You're the one cleaning the city up, the big hero."

Judy shrugged. " But she talks to me about gossip, or she complains. It's not like we're actually doing anything important."

Nick chuckled. " Maybe she wants to brag to her friends that you two are buddies. Maybe she just likes wasting time."

Judy stood up, stretching her legs. " Hmm. Well," she said. " How about we get something to write everything down, then go back to my place and see if we can figure anything out? Compare notes?"

Nick yawned, stretching. "You act like this is a case, _Miss Hopps._ These lovely rich folk surely aren't connected to anything… unseemly!" he chuckled, and walked with her down the street, towards the nearest store.

" You're in a good mood," Judy noted. " Something you wanna tell me?" They walked past a few stragglers on the streets.

Nick nodded. " I want to have a good meal, have a nice shower when I get home-" he grinned again when he saw her roll her eyes.

" Be serious!" she chided. " What's this good mood coming from?"

Nick sighed. " I can't lie to you. Fine," he said wearily. " I admit it- I'm happy that this might turn into something productive. I have a good feeling about that husband." A passerby stared at Nick for a second, face questioning.

Judy nodded. " Let's see." She said, voice turning cheerful. " Maybe I can get you to talk _and_ save the city again!"

" No more trains or drugs, please." Nick pleaded. They found a general store soon after, and spent some time on a bench writing on the notepads they had bought. They headed to her apartment, discussing theories and fervently hoping it'd turn into something.


	5. Chapter 5: It's a Habit

**Chapter 5: It's a Habit**

Nick shifted around on the apartment lobby bench, deciding that he was getting tired of this part of Downtown- walking through the same street to get to Judy's building was getting dull. The same shops selling general goods or knick-knacks, the same smoothie place, the same vixen trying to get him to notice her- he might start taking a new route for a while. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

Judy had told him to come by five, so he had spent the day getting his notes together and poking around City Hall. There _was_ a Thomas there working as the Secretary of the Department of Transportation- Thomas Geárr. He remembered the name vaguely, back from his transportation days- Thomas had been the Secretary for a while before Nick had stopped, and he had been paid off more than once by multiple interested parties. Well, Nick _thought_ he had been. It was either that or he was incompetent at catching smugglers and price gougers.

Judy did eventually come down, fifteen minutes behind, and he gave her the important details- name and years worked. She nodded thoughtfully, and she brought her findings to the table.

" So," she said, walking with him down the block. " Tabby Geárr is a dilettante who's in big social circles- has connections with plenty of rich families, prey and preds both." She mused a while before speaking up again. " She's got a website for charity events, a bunch of photos with her family looking all important at a bunch of different events… She goes to the Police functions, too."

Nick _hmm_ -ed. " So we're a social status thing?" he suggested. " The two big cops get to be her best buddies so she can brag to everyone?"

Judy nodded slowly. " Mhm. Red herring then. But we can still look into the husband. Someone important like him needs to be checked for corruption."

" Why has it always been rabbits, lately?" Nick muttered. " Why can't we investigate some snake kingpin or a wallaby or something?"

They stopped at the crosswalk, watching cars zoom by. Nick found it funny that he could count how many of these people they'd stopped for speeding before.

Judy shrugged. " Hey, maybe he's friends with some big, exotic mammal we can bust. Will that make you happy?" Nick nodded, and she continued. " You can ask their kids about Dad, and I can cozy up to his poor wife and get her to spill the beans."

Nick nodded. " I'm sure half of what she tells you will be nonsense that no one needs to hear." He said. " But I'm sure there's gonna be something useful."

They crossed the street, and made small talk for the rest of the way to the Geárr house. About a block before they made it to the front door of the Geárr's, Nick decided to shift the conversation back to the task at hand.

"- and she still acts like she wasn't the one to say all that," Judy said. " even though we recorded her."

" Hmm." Nick stopped, grinning slightly. " I was thinking- how about I talk to the mom instead, and you talk to the kids? It'd be nice to talk to girls that have something different to say." He chuckled at the frown on her face, shaking his head. " Maybe I can change their minds about foxes- once they get a good look at me, I think I can get them talking for hours."

Nick wanted to laugh at the scrunched-up look on Judy's face, deciding to take it as far as possible. Ambling forward with his paws emphasizing his words, Nick continued. " A lot of girls, they always talk about my eyes and my coat, how charming I am…" Nick sighed, turning back to Judy. " See, _those_ girls have good senses, " he said teasingly. " They might make it into Detective too."

Judy rolled her eyes, moving forward to keep up with him. " You're making me regret working with you."

Nick laughed. " Just now?" he said. " Patience of a saint, Officer." He sighed. "Seriously, though- eyes and ears, make sure to ask the questions carefully. We don't want a repeat of James, trust me."

Judy nodded. " I learned, you'll see."

* * *

Nick, thankfully, did go up and talk to the boys. Judy found a seat in the living room this time, and Tabitha took a seat next to her, cradling a glass of red wine in her paws. They talked about her children, Judy answered some questions about her work as a police officer- it was normal, banal. The conversation took a turn after Tabitha had started her third bottle.

" Judy," Tabitha began. " You know, it's a shame we've been sitting in the house for so long. We should get you out to more events, let the other families see you."

Judy let her feet tap on the floor, leaning forward with an interested expression. " Anyone you have in mind?" she said.

Tabitha nodded eagerly, sipping her wine. " The two of my neighbors, they're dying to meet you too, and I've got another friend who just moved in from the Rainforest District who really wanted to meet you…"

" Do you want me to talk to their kids, get them all educated? " Judy said.

Tabitha chuckled, shaking her head. " Their kids aren't important. All that's important is getting your name out there, Officer." She said. " You're not the only one who thinks you deserve a boost in your career."

Judy smiled. " It means a lot to hear that, thank you." She paused slightly. " Especially when it comes from another woman who's lived such a hard life- that horrible husband of yours…"

Tabitha gripped the stem of her glass tightly, and Judy felt her stomach knot, fighting the urge to dig her paws into the couch. " Horrible doesn't even begin to describe it!" she scoffed. " That man, if you could even call him that, does nothing to help me, only focuses on his work! He acts like he's the big money-maker, but do you know where the money for this house comes from?"

Tabitha looked at her expectantly, and Judy didn't have to try to look interested. " It's all from your side of the family, isn't it?"

Tabitha nodded triumphantly. " My side! My father worked very hard to get us a place here. He lived just like you did, in some small rural area, and he worked his way up until he was important. _Thomas_ married into money, and he's where he is because of me getting him into City Hall in the first place." She took another sip of her wine, holding it in place until the glass was empty.

Tabitha looked at her guiltily. " I'm such a bad host!" she moaned. " Who doesn't offer their guest a glass?" Tabitha quickly scurried away to get another glass and bottle from the kitchen, and Judy racked her brain. The last few tidbits could be used against him when they saw him…

Tabitha came back, handing her a glass and filling it to the brim. " Merlot, good for the body, goes very nice with vegetables…" She raised her glass expectantly, smiling at her. " _Salud, Prost,_ all of that."

She took a sip, still watching her. Judy took a sip along with her, noting the scent of rasp and blackberries. It brought her thoughts to home for a moment, to the different farms, until Tabitha started up again.

" You understand," Tabitha said proudly. " As a woman, you understand, and as someone that had to work to get somewhere important. Tom, he, he always makes these negative comments…"

It went on for a while, and they had finished multiple glasses by the time night had come. Judy felt like she knew a few more key details, among other things.

* * *

Nick's job today was to talk about the evils of drugs and their effect on the youth. Thankfully, he was very familiar with how they worked- Shani made sure of that.

Nick stuck out a digit on each paw, counting off. " There's benzodiazepines, some opioids- those are agonists, okay? They start things in your brain, tell it to make certain chemicals. Other drugs, like paracetamol, sometimes they work in different ways…"

He could tell they were getting confused. He'd have to make it simpler.

" Drugs," he began. " Tell your body to start or stop doing something. They either make your body produce more chemicals or stop it from doing what it's supposed to. Agonists and antagonists, okay? Think books-" one of them nodded. "- bad guys stop things from happening, and they're antagonists. Same thing."

He shook his head, face firm. "I grew up with guys that took a lot of those drugs, right? One or two, they come out fine, so they keep taking more. The thing folks don't get is, you build up a tolerance- **but that doesn't keep you from overdosing."** He said firmly. " _You_ won't feel anything, but your organs, they freak out because it's too much or too little chemicals. Then your body breaks down, and it's downhill from there."

The boys shifted in their seats nervously. He was honestly surprised they were still paying attention. He supposed that they were too sheltered to ever try anything, that it was all scary unknowns to them. No need to stay on his soapbox, then.

" You guys," he said in a softer tone. " Have a great chance at a good future, and I'm not saying this to be a bad guy, or be boring- just stay informed, okay? Knowledge is power, isn't it?"

One of them nodded eagerly, and Nick felt relieved- one was better than none. A thought came to him suddenly. " Does your Dad talk to you guys about this at all?" he said.

The boys shook their heads, Buck speaking up first. " He comes home late, doesn't have time to talk much." He said sadly.

Nick nodded. " That's no good- I'll see if I can't catch him one day and talk to him." They looked hopeful at that. He smiled. " I'm sure he's trying to work so hard for your guys sake," he said. " Not like he's staying out late on purpose."

" Actually…" one of them began. " Him and mom, they, um…"

The room fell quiet for a little bit, Nick looking expectantly at the brown rabbit to Buck's right.

" You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Nick said softly. The kids shifted uncomfortably, and Nick stayed silent.

" Hey," Buck said. " Do some drugs make people angrier than they should be?"

Nick tilted his head. " Sometimes… Why?"

Buck leaned forward, eyes wide. " Our aunt and Dad had this huge fight a few weeks ago, and it was right after Auntie had taken some of her medicine…"

Nick leaned forward, drinking in all the details. By the end of it, he felt he had something worthwhile to share with Judy.


	6. Chapter 6: Miles to Go

**Chapter 6: Miles to Go**

 **(A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm back, pumping out almost-decent content for you all. I hope you all are seeing an improvement, that you like it.)**

* * *

Nighttime in Downtown was a nice walk, at least to her. The breezes at night felt great after a hot day, and it helped that much more after the wine had warmed her up a little **.** Judy tried to keep in step, frowning as Nick started laughing again. " For the last time," she said. " I didn't drink that much! Three glasses isn't going to do anything!"

Nick shook his head. " I saw four empty bottles on that table, you know." He said cheerfully. " Now that hurts- is the cheap beer I buy you not the same?" His expression turned sorrowful, and she swore that he sounded offended. "Am I not fun enough to have drinks with? You want to get wasted with some weird lady instead?"

Judy grimaced. " She likes to drink, okay? Most of that was her, and she would keep complaining if I stopped…" Judy poked him in the side. " And I happened to get a lot of information out of it, no thanks to you being all chummy with her boys."

Nick shrugged. " You go first then." He said, glancing down at her, ears cocked. " What's the dirty details on the lady drunk?"

Judy tried to swallow, wishing she had something to water her throat. " Short and sweet version- husband marries for money, doesn't treat her right and stays out late." Nick nodded thoughtfully, and she continued. " Thing is," she said earnestly, " he's suddenly coming home with some expensive gifts- don't roll your eyes, Nick- if he hasn't gotten a promotion recently, or a pay-raise, then that _might_ mean someone else is giving him money."

Nick nodded again. " Thomas is getting bribed, like any good city official." Nick said sourly. "They all get something, you know."

Judy nodded, still trying to put their few gathered details together. " We get him, maybe we can nab a few others." She said, voice picking up after a moment. " Maybe we can actually get someone whose name people know!"

Nick chuckled. " Hm. Well," he said thoughtfully, staring up at the night-sky. " We might have some leverage on him- his kids say there's an awful lot of arguments at night, that mom and sister are bullied, pushed around- sometimes literally. Those gifts could be to make up for those times." Nick sighed, kicking at a stray piece of trash on the sidewalk. " Could be something to pressure him with- no one wants the news calling them abusive."

Judy felt her chest tighten, felt a mix anger and sadness. " We could… we could get her to report him, Nick." She said earnestly. " Cut this all short and be done- "

Nick shook his head again, frown deepening. " We need _proof_ , though. Otherwise it'll just sit for months- they'll kiss and make up, she'll drop the case." He said. " There's no evidence beyond the kids, and that's not reliable. And she hasn't pressed charges for a reason. We keep digging, we can pin him with something solid."

They made it to the crosswalk, and Nick thumbed the button a few dozen more times than he needed to. Judy looked at him quizzically as they crossed, and Nick huffed. " You would think," he said testily, as they crossed the empty road, " that some folk would know better. I walked in that house thinking this was going to be some simple outreach thing for some idiots, but now it just brings back bad memories."

Judy searched his face, watching him fume. " You don't have to do this, Nick." She said. " I can do this on my own if it's too much, really." Big case or not, it wasn't worth her partner's mental health- he needed a break from all the stress.

Nick glared at her, and she paused in her step for a second, staring back. " I'm **not** leaving some people behind when they might be getting hurt." He snapped. " Rich or broke, you don't let folk get pushed around, get hurt, when you got the tools to stop it." He wasn't about to add that he didn't want her getting pushed around either, though.

Judy sighed, eyes drifting briefly over the shake shop and corner stores they passed by.  
"Reminds you of the incident with the Scouts, huh?" she said sympathetically. " That's noble, Nick, you trying to prevent that."

Nick shook his head. " That's one thing, sure, but there are other things I saw growing up, things I still see." He said sourly. " That whole thing with Liam was one I saw with you."

She perked up suddenly, tapping his arm excitedly and raising her voice. " Hey!" she said. " You never told me what exactly happened when you drove off after all that, Mister Gang-Buster."

He looked at her quizzically, tilting his head. " 'Mister Gang-Buster'? Really?" he stopped, leaning against the brick wall of one of the emptier restaurants. They were about a block away from her apartment now, he noted. She _was_ still feeling that wine- she'd probably just forget in the morning anyway. So he told her the short version.

* * *

Nick had watched as the muted colors of Downtown gave way to the deep greens and browns of the Rainforest District. It was a stark contrast, and usually he would enjoy the change of pace. Right now there was too much else going on.

They had found the house again fine- it'd been much easier to remember the path back in the daytime. Nick took a deep breath, glancing over at Thom, whose face had lost its usual humor in lieu of focus. The wolf pressed against one side of the doorframe, shifting uncomfortably against the press of his stab vest. Two other offers were braced behind him, ready to spring forward.

" Ready?" Thom said. " Counting on you, Nick." Thom gave him a brisk nod, and Nick stiffened as he watched Vilkas step forward with the battering ram, striking the lock solidly and causing the door to almost break out the frame. Nick threw the flashbang, hurriedly turning away and covering his ears, cursing the moron who hadn't packed the right size earplugs for him.

If they were going to use flashbangs to draw any leftover gangers out, it'd have to be him- anything that could fit in the other officer's paws was liable to dust anything smaller than them, and that was too much paperwork. Besides, they needed information.

He, as the former ganger, had the privilege of going in first. After the flashbang popped, he hustled inside with his pistol ready, sweeping the living room and hallway. There was one rat on the floor, clutching his head and howling in pain- Nick quickly grabbed his zip-ties, pushing the rat down and securing him. Nick could see a knife in his paw- ordinarily it'd be funny, since it was just a needle to him. But more than one gang had figured out the power of paralytics and hemotoxins. Nasty stuff if it leaked into the blood, sometimes even just fur.

One down, plenty more to go. The rat swore at him, trying to swipe at him with his back feet, as Nick pushed him towards the front door- towards the waiting recovery team. He brought his pistol back up again, pressing himself up against the hallway wall and inching his way towards the other end. He could hear the rest of the team hustling behind him,- loud enough that he was having trouble hearing anything else. On his right, there was the door to the meeting room, on his left the kitchen.

No one had come with him down the hallway. They were much more focused on the dorms side of the house, where no suspects where. All the fresh smells were coming down the hallway. Nick would later write in his report that they were securing evidence.

The noise and the lack of help was how he got stabbed. He walked out the kitchen eyeing the shut door to the meeting room, when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, even through the vest. He heard a grunt in his ear, claws trying to dig through his vest from behind. He swore he could feel teeth trying to grip on his neck, an arm reaching around to move the needle towards a more vulnerable spot…

* * *

" He'd been hiding in the pantry," Nick said, shaking his head. " I didn't see him tucked behind all the cans- should've been more thorough- and when I turned around he tried to get a good hit on me. He missed, hit lower than he meant. It wasn't fun getting him down and cuffed, I can tell you that much. And that was _before_ we got into the meeting room. That was a whole 'nother thing." Nick crossed his arms.

Judy was looking at him with that same pitying expression again, and a part of him felt angry- who said he wanted pity? He did his best to fight it down, to look at her with a level gaze. He forced a smile.

Nick looked so upset- hunched over, grimacing, and he had avoided looking at her half the time he told the story. " I'd be angry too if I didn't have backup and gear," she said. " In fact, I've got half a mind to go and tell Chief- no way should you be some expendable thing, Nick!" she crossed her arms. " And they only gave you a week's vacation for that? That doesn't make much sense, if you ask me. Almost like…" she paused, regarding Nick.

" So, hold on," she said slowly. " I was off on medical leave for weeks, doing desk work, and you were off… doing gang stuff? Bringing them down? And you only got a week off after all that?"

Nick nodded. "They wanted me back to work ASAP, " he said. " Lots of gangs to keep small or break apart, you know." His voice had taken a hard edge to it. " The week off is so I can't complain about a lack of vacation time."

Judy shook her head. " That's just… that's horrible. Don't you have to get treated or get bed rest?"

Nick shrugged. " Not that many folk in Gangs, and…. I still have to prove I'm on the up-and-up. So I gotta clean up all the loose ends." He smiled again, and she could tell this one wasn't genuine- there wasn't any light in his eyes.

Judy stayed quiet for a while, before speaking up again. " Is this thing, that we got into… Is this part of tying up those loose ends?"

Nick shrugged. " I couldn't tell you. I hope it is, though." He said, with a mixture of tiredness and hope. " I'm getting real tired of getting ignored by a whole Division."

They dawdled after that, pacing around her apartment lobby for a while before he said goodnight. He hoped this would all be over soon; it might be time to dig deeper into Mr. Secretary, he thought.


	7. Chapter 7: Peace, Said the Fox

**Chapter 7: Peace, Said the Fox**

 **(A/N: This chapter is a bit longer- only because breaking it up was difficult.)**

* * *

Thankfully, her lobby was empty in the few minutes he spent there with her- gave him time to properly say goodnight. Unfortunately, Judy didn't seem to be in the mood to let their conversation go. That wine was making her bold. Well, bolder.

" You don't have to let them treat you like that," she said. " Tell the Commander, go find Chief, even. There's no reason-"

Nick shook his head. " Complaining will just get them angry." He said. " I can take a few weeks of mistrust, don't you worry about that."

Judy stood up from the wall she was leaning against, crossing her arms. " Well, I am worrying about it- you're important to me, remember?"

Nick nodded, smiling a little. " I remember, sure. But," he said, " I got everything under control, alright? I'm just a little stressed out, but I'll be fine." He held his arms out. " Now, you gonna say goodnight or are you gonna make me stay here all night?"

Judy gave him a tight hug, and she headed to the stairwell after one last comment. " Our last week as a team," she said. " Let's finish it right, okay?"

Nick watched her grip the stairwell, trying not to trip over her feet as she slowly made her way up. He had a feeling she'd forget about this in the morning.

He wasn't going home yet. It was for the best, though- he needed to check on something first.

* * *

Galaxy was a small prey-catering club, but Nick felt that an overworked husband wanting to spend time away from his wife would like to hide here- it was one of the nicer clubs on the way home from City Hall, plenty of women, and even small clubs had extra space set aside for VIPs. Cameras weren't allowed inside, of course, but what mattered was getting caught.

Tonight, Nick wanted to see if he was here in the first place, and if he ever had any special guests. Other women or no, that funding source would need to talk to him without getting noticed. Face to face- this place worked perfectly.

He had trouble hearing himself once he was inside- it was a techno club, and they played it loud enough that the buildings next door often had noise complaints. Add in a few hundred drunk adults and college kids and it got that much louder. So right now he had to scream to be heard. He supposed it was nice inside, if he wasn't constantly bumping into folk covered in spilled booze or having someone scream in his ear. The bright colored lights and strobes didn't help much. It took him ten minutes just to push his way up the stairs to the bar- most folk here were _getting_ drunk, not already drunk, so it was a little better.

Nick couldn't find an empty seat at the bar, so he waited, leaning over the railing and enjoying the music. Everyone was packed in like sardines, and his first thought was how much of a fire hazard that was. His mind started to drift back to the fire a few weeks ago, but someone tapping his shoulder made him lose his train of thought.

" Hi handsome!" the vixen before him said, brown eyes coy. " Remember me, Officer?"

Nick grinned, straightening up. " 'Course I do. You look beautiful." He looked her up and down, nodding at the mini-dress approvingly. " Definitely the nicest-looking one here tonight."

Nick had no idea who she was. It took a second of her staring at him for him to realize it was the same vixen that he kept bumping into on the way to Judy's apartment, the one from the café. Her outfit was terrible- didn't match her fur or eyes at all. Who wore bright yellow with orange fur?

She glanced back at the bar, towards a small group of friends staring back at them- rabbits, even an ewe.

" Me and my friends," she began, smiling and pointing back to her group. " were wondering if you wanted to come and sit with us for a bit?"

" Sure, sure!" Nick said, ambling along with her, clambering onto a stool amidst a gaggle (a clique? a huddle?) of chatty women. He said hello, gave the usual compliments- you all look so nice, yadda yadda- and found himself bombarded with questions by the one vixen who had brought him over and someone who was apparently her sister or cousin. If he was still single, if he worked hard, if he carried a big gun. It wasn't very subtle. They also went on about themselves, what they did, but Nick only had time for important things right now.

Nick made the required sacrifice in these kinds of situations- about a quarter of his paycheck went to getting them all drinks. He took the few minutes of them drinking to focus back on his goal- the VIP area. There was definitely someone in it, since there were plenty of bouncers near the dividing rope, but he couldn't tell who.

He could've gone over to peek at who it was, but his host was very insistent on his sitting next to her. She kept brushing a paw down his arm, telling him about what she heard on the street about him. By now the rest of her friends were headed downstairs, and she still wouldn't let go. He could try a bathroom excuse, but he couldn't leave the club without walking past the bar…

" Hey," he said, noting her paw on his forearm again. " Do you want to go and dance with me?" He leaned a little bit closer to her, muttering into her ear. " I promise I'll show you a good time." Her eyes lit up at that, but before she could try and pull him downstairs with her, he told her he'd be right there, that he had to head to the bathroom.

He hustled quickly to the bathroom, pushing the door open and taking a very long time to wash his paws and face. After ten minutes of him washing off soap and being stared at by the other men, he took a peek out the door as someone walked out. She'd walked off.

So he walked out, made a right up to the VIP section. The bouncer glowered at him, and Nick kept his expression neutral.

" Hey!" he said, swaying slightly and smiling. " Any chance I could get in, man? I got money!" He dug into his pocket, fumbling with his wallet and carefully began pulling out a handful of ones and fives.

The bouncer sighed, shaking his head and stepping very close to him- but letting Nick see a bit more behind him. " You want to get in, you reserve it online, alright?" He pushed Nick's wallet down. " And you don't have nearly enough to get in here, man. It'd cost a couple more hundred."

Nick scoffed, pointing past the barrier and at the group of rabbits sat at one of the far tables, ordering drinks from a waitress. " That idiot and all his friends got in! You saying I don't got that same kind of money?" He dug into his wallet again, pulling out a hundred. " Come on, man!"

The bouncer shook his head again, and Nick gave his best frustrated grunt. " Just because he's the Director of Cars or whatever…. " he said. " I'm someone important, too!"

The bouncer shrugged, looking past him now. Nick slunk away after that, ears low and tail dragging- he winced as more than a few folk stepped on it.

The Director of Cars _was_ here, surrounded by a handful of young does and alert-looking guards- more than one face he knew from reports and his past. Considering the schedule for this club, Nick felt that he had the beginnings of a good schedule going on. He'd have to know if they were talking about something important, but it wasn't like he could march up to his table...

He managed to get out the club after pushing his way through the crowd again, thankfully avoiding that clingy vixen. He noticed that his phone was going off after a few minutes of walking down the block, and he noted that he had six missed calls and two voicemails, about twenty minutes old.

The first one was asking him to come back. The second one made him want to throw his phone.

" Nick! You gotta come back before I forget! Lady Drunk told me where her husband goes- right down the block, at that club! We might be able to see who he hangs out with, follow-"

Nick hung up the phone, taking a deep breath. Rise above, he told himself. Just stay calm, walk back, share notes. No need to lose your mind.

* * *

Judy stood on the landing of the stairway, lost in thought. They still hadn't talked about the last case, or how things were going to be after the transfer. On top of that, Nick was invested in this case, and if she knew him well enough, he'd be trying something on his own- if not for Gangs, then it'd be to keep her out of any trouble again. That was something she couldn't let happen.

Which is why she turned around and went back to the lobby. Nick was long gone, though, so she had to call him. Multiple times. He still never set up a voice message. She tried to wait a few minutes between calls, but eventually lost patience and kept ringing right after hanging up.

She went outside to get some fresh air, trying to keep her eyes from closing and to stop the yawning. She had paced around the block three times before she heard Nick's voice. She found him rubbing his head, talking to himself.

" I can't, I really can't anymore." He muttered. " Just end me already." She nudged him gently with her shoulder, and he snapped his head up. " You really couldn't tell me earlier?" he said.

" Where were you?" she said. " Not my fault you don't answer your phone. Again." She hadn't meant to add that last part, but now she was tired and still feeling the wine a bit. It might have also been some pent-up emotions.

Nick grimaced, wrinkling his nose. " You can't smell all that on me?" From the look on her face, he figured that she did now. Her expression went from neutral to angry very quickly.

Judy crossed her arms. " You went over there without me!" she said, shaking her head. " What did I say before you left, Nick? Really?"

Nick frowned. " Yeah, I did. But are you in any shape to go?" he said. " And I don't think you'd want to have some politician and five hundred other dudes pawing at you."

" That's my choice, you know." She said icily. " You act like I can't handle it- I was in some slum for a whole week without you. And _you_ think I can't handle some club?"

Judy sighed. " Nick," she said determinedly as she looked up at him. " I'm not letting this go like last time- I don't want to be a decoy again, I don't want you keeping things from me again. Okay?"

Nick's face was neutral. " I was going to tell you what I found, you know." Judy shook her head, and he crossed his arms. " What's the deal, huh?" he said.

She spoke in a firm tone. " You've got a reason for this case to be over soon, and I don't want to be left in the dust again. This is my case just as much as yours."

Nick nodded. " You want to help the kids again, softie?" he said, trying too late to bite his tongue. That had come out more taunting than he meant it.

Judy shook her head, feeling a wave of pent-up anger. " I… No!" she said forcefully. " I want to help everyone in that family, Nick! I want to be there with you and work as a team! You kept secrets from me in the last case, and I don't want to be sitting in that house talking away while you're out there doing something moving the case forward!"

If she had been honest with Nick, she would've admitted to having more than three glasses at the house. Coupled with the face that she hadn't drank since she'd left home, she wasn't in a subtle mood right now.

Nick moved closer to her, trying to read her face. He kept an eye behind them, noting the few stragglers making their way back home- it was late. " Carrots," he said carefully. " I only work on my own so things can be done faster, so there's less danger for both of us. I… I would've worked alone for a little bit, sure, but I would've come back to share it with you."

They glared at each other for a few seconds, Judy eventually sighing.

Judy poked him in the chest, frowning. " There's no reason," she said. " For me not to be there! Look at all that stress you're already holding in- you're being treated like… like…" she made a disgusted noise. " Like a tool, Nick! No! You've got someone who wants to really work with you and _help_ you…" She stared up at him pleadingly.

Nick cupped her paw, pulling it away from his chest. " I know," he said. " I know. You try so hard, and you care about folk, and I admire that, I really do, but you have to understand that I'm just trying to-"

Judy began to protest, and she, for once, overspoke him.

" Listen to me, " she said. " I worked to get you here, right? I always tell you how unfair people treat you. And I've tried so hard to not be angry when I should be, to be positive and keep you above water… Isn't that enough?"

Nick sighed, feeling that same, frustrating mix of emotions. She just _had_ to make him think. " You treat me a whole lot better than I'm used to." He said.

Judy stepped closer to him. " So let me help, work with me instead of trying all the hard stuff on your own. You won't be able to protect me anyway once I transfer." She saw him frown, and she cut in again before he could speak up. " Or do you want me to go on my own?" He stopped, shook his head.

Nick let out a long breath, rubbing his face. " Okay." He said. " Okay, let's… let's think of a plan. So we know he's in that club right now…"


	8. Chapter 8: Holes in the Story

**Chapter 8: Holes in the Story**

 **(A/N: Hello guys! Chapter Eight, and back to the 1500 format. Have you guys noticed the plot holes yet?)**

* * *

It had only been, what, three days? Three days of visiting some rich family, trying to make some community bonds- real heroic work, he thought ruefully. Judy had insisted this was meant to be a vacation. Sitting outside at a bus stop watching drunks spill out of a club wasn't his idea of a vacation.

" You really think," he said, glancing at Judy. " that we're going to be able to follow them after they leave?" He heard cars honking, and he saw a truck just barely catch the light, almost clipping a car in a turn lane.

Judy nodded. " Want me to go in there and cozy up to him instead?" she said. " I could get friendly with him real fast if this is too slow, Nick." She stretched her legs out, stifling a yawn. " Hm. Actually, that _would_ be the only way to get a good look at everyone…"

Nick shook his head. " There's no way we can do that." He said angrily. " Imagine what we could get into! This plan works fine, partner, trust me."

* * *

Nick glared up at the bouncer again, arms crossed. " Listen! You keep an eye on them, okay? That doe, she's had a lot to drink, and I don't like the look of Mr. Secretary over there."

Judy had quickly caught the eye of that lecherous rabbit, and had waved her over to come and talk. Talking didn't mean eyeing her up and down and brushing his paws all over her. She was handling it fine, so far, but there's no way she could handle that for much longer.

* * *

She wasn't surprised when Geárr turned out to be nothing special. There were plenty of hundred-plus dollar bottles lying around, lots of sweet nothings that he kept telling her, something that would've been enough for more than a few folk she knew. She had heard everything he kept saying before, though, all the compliments and promises, the not-so-subtle innuendoes. Blocking stupidity out had become a talent of hers, especially with Nick around.

Even if it weren't for all that, she was here for work. Geárr was here, and more than a few of those with him were on the station watch-list. Smugglers, mostly, some of them suspected to be button-men. She was caught staring a few times, and they stared back at her, Judy smiling meekly and waving before turning back to her host.

" You go to the beach often? " he'd been telling her, a paw on her arm. " There's some beautiful ones not too far from here, and at this time of year they're a great way to unwind." He paused, smiling at her. " If you ever need a new bathing suit…"

She stopped listening again, lost in thought. He never called her a cop, or asked her about her shift. It's not like every doe named Judy was the cop one, right? Judy was a common name… The hard part was getting out of the situation without being awkward.

She stared into Geárr's eyes, smiling gently and placing her paws on his chest, kneading what was meant to be muscle. " Hey, handsome," she said softly, leaning close enough to smell the whisky on his shirt. " You want to get out of here? This place is so dull…, and I could definitely use something more exciting…"

Geárr's face lit up, a grin widening on his face. " I have this gorgeous place we could go to, just a few blocks away…" he said. " You ever see those fancy apartments near the city center? One of them is all mine." He straightened up at that, looking smug.

Judy made sure to widen her eyes and grin back, nodding eagerly. They passed by the bar on the way out, and she heard Nick arguing with someone. Hopefully he'd understand what needed to happen.

* * *

" Really, Nat?" Nick said. " Not one thing this whole time?"

The sheep shrugged, nursing his drink and trying to avoid his gaze. " Nope. Nothing unusual has happened ever since you all cleared it out." He said. " Everyone is running around trying to pick up the pieces."

Nick sighed, trying to meet his gaze. " Yeah, but _where_ are those pieces at? " He pulled out his wallet. " Is it a money thing? Last week's wasn't enough?"

Nat smirked, and he was about to say something when Nick spied Judy moving downstairs with the Secretary. He would have to be quick- he picked out fifty bucks, placing it in front of the sheep. " There. What's the news?"

Nat swirled his drink around, watching Nick stare after Judy and her entourage. He waited until they had gone down the stairs before he spoke. Slowly. " Your hunch," he said. " Is right. Only two of them, though."

Nick shook his head, taking his feet off the stool-rest and planting them on the floor. " You're sure?" he said skeptically. " Which two?"

Nat shrugged, and Nick decided now wasn't the time to argue. He had to keep an eye on the mark. He stood up, hustling after them. He felt someone grab his arm once he had made it downstairs.

* * *

It smelled much better outside- the air out here was much fresher, and she could breathe without feeling like she was inhaling a gallon of spirits. She had rarely seen the streets this empty, only one or two still making their way down the street, or to cars. The music was still pounding in the club, though.

Judy glanced back behind her, and with a twinge of frustration noted that Nick was still nowhere to be seen. Now it was her and Tom, the rest of his group having excused themselves. They were standing on the sidewalk, waiting for a cab. She figured that using his own car would make it too obvious for anyone snooping.

" You know," he said genially, staring at her. " I really didn't think you of all folk would walk in and talk to me!" She smiled at him, and he continued. " I mean, you're really her! Hopps herself!"

Judy felt her stomach tighten, her paws clench. " How… What makes you think I'm her, Tom?" she kept her voice light, glancing over at him and keeping her smile steady.

She heard him chuckle. " Oh, no one could mistake you for anyone else, trust me! Not with those looks." Tom glanced over at her, noting her paws, and gripped her shoulder briefly, looking concerned. " Oh, don't worry!" he said. " I won't tell anyone, beautiful. I promise, no one will know." He brushed her paw, and she moved it away.

He sounded genuine, which briefly confused her. " Aren't you worried about getting caught?" she said, afterwards thinking for a second. " What about those folk you were with, won't they try and sell us out to the news? Or to the wife?"

He shook his head, glancing behind them briefly and running a paw down his clothes. " They haven't, yet. " he said. " And I learned how to be discreet." He regarded her, staring into her eyes. " And I have to be extra careful with someone like you," he said seriously. " I don't want either of us getting in trouble for this. Tabby will get even more jealous than usual, and I don't want you losing your job…"

Nick _still_ hadn't made it out of the club, and she could see the cab turning the corner. She clenched her paws and fought a sigh. Maybe the apartment had something for her to find as evidence. And she _could_ learn more by talking to him…

Judy smiled, trying to ignore the dryness in her throat. " Can we stop by my place first?" she said. "I have to pick up a change of clothes. It'll be super-quick, I promise."

* * *

Judy threw her bag onto the middle seat, settling into the cab which quickly moved forward and into the sparse traffic towards the city center. " Tommy," she said, and saw his posture perk up, a smile widening on his face. " Who're those friends you were with? Half of them looked like they didn't even want to be there."

He sighed, shaking his head. " See, we met them at some city event ages ago, and ever since then they'd been very insistent on hanging around me when I'm out." He shrugged. " It scares me half to death, honestly, but some of those does there are worth being scared. Just last week-" he stopped, looking at her guiltily. " Not that you're, er, like them, Judy!" he said quickly. " Those girls are different, they're just freeloaders, trying to get favors. Eh heh, don't-"

Judy nodded, her brow slightly furrowed. Was he an idiot or was this a trick to get her somewhere isolated? He knew who she was, and yet he kept on talking and drooling over her.

Just stay focused and alert, she decided. The water and energy pill she had chewed on upstairs should help with that.

He knew about her talks with his wife, and who she was, but he didn't care, and no one had tried to ambush her yet. Hopefully, something would come along that would make sense of all this. Eyes and ears, she reminded herself.


	9. Chapter 9: I Was Angry With My Foe

**Chapter 9: I Was Angry With My Foe**

 **(A/N: In law, the 'fruit of the poisonous tree' is evidence not allowed in court because it was obtained illegally. As always, there are expectations and loopholes, interpreted differently by each judge.**

 **Does anyone know the title reference off the top of their head?)**

* * *

Judy saw his paw move toward her again, and she took a step to the side, watching as he cupped air. He coughed a little, smiling weakly at her, and put his paws back into his pockets. The bright lights of the elevator didn't help her headache, nor was it very flattering on her mark. Geárr's white button-up had several stains on it, the cut a little too tight and the collar uneven, lopsided. He shifted on his feet constantly, eyes never still, at least not when they rested on her.

It was what she expected. Wasn't this what a Detective did, anyway? Just focus on the goal. She focused her eyes forward and followed him out the elevator and to his apartment.

The headache she was fighting wasn't making it easy to focus on what was around her. He had a kitchen, he had a living room, he had plenty of food on the counter. The carpet she was walking on had a nice design, and it was a lot easier to stare at than the bright light above her. Or at Geárr, whose feet he could make out at the corner of her eye. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, but now wasn't the best time to check..

Judy felt her headache recede a little, and took the chance to look back up at Geárr. "It's an awfully nice place you have," she said. " Mind if I look around?" She made the effort to smile at him, and Geárr nodded.

" Go ahead, get comfy." He said. " You could always lay down, you know- might help the headache. Or…" he ran to the kitchen. " You want some water? I got water."

" You're awfully nice, Tommy." She called, hearing him dig into cabinets. " I thought this was gonna be a… a quick thing. Not that I mind!"

The idiot answered back quickly. " Not for you!" he said. " A doe like you deserves the best treatment- no rush for anything, we have all night, um, beautiful. Heh. "

She ambled around the living room, eyeing the flat-screen TV and considering if she should steal some fruit from the kitchen. He had plenty of it on the counter. An orange maybe, or an apple… She shook her head slowly. Evidence. In and out, once she got home then she could eat.

Geárr left the water on the counter, which she didn't touch, and he made offered her the use of his shower, which she ignored. The first time he asked, he had taken a few steps towards her with a look meant to be alluring. The second time, he tried to get a grip on her waist, and after getting a noseful of stale whisky she had to apologize after stumbling back.

" My head's pounding right now," she muttered. " Let me…. Let me just get some air, drink some water, and I'll make it up to you."

" You sure?" the idiot said. " It'll be worth it." Geárr had a bad habit of being persistent, and she had to tell him she was sure three times before Geárr left to shower with a concerned look on his face.

It was going better than she hoped. Geárr was apparently dumb, she was keeping the panic down, and she'd be out before she could stop ignoring it. She just had to focus on the task at hand.

She figured she had fifteen minutes to look around before she had to talk to him again. She hadn't found anything that looked like an office, or a briefcase, so any evidence would be stashed somewhere inconspicuous. She didn't see anything out here, nothing near the TV or in the stand, so she moved on to the bedroom, placing her carryon bag on his bed.

She dug in his drawers, ignoring the magazines and pill bottles. Ten minutes left, and if he tried anything, she had pepper spray in her pocket, a Taser in the bag. Just focus on evidence, think about it later.

Nothing under his clothes, nothing she could feel out under his mattress. She hesitated, turning back to the stack of magazines in the top drawer. She flipped through the top one, a little surprised to find actual articles in between the pictures, and found a handful of notes tucked in the back.

She felt her phone buzz again, and she checked it while trying to hold back a cry of frustration. Nick. She would have to make it quick.

" Detective Hopps here." She said cheerily. No need for him to worry. " How can I help you?"

She heard Nick take a deep breath, and she could imagine him glaring down the block.

" Where are you, for one," he said calmly. " and two, what are you doing?"

Well, he wasn't yelling, so that was good. She gave him the address, and took a second to phrase the second answer correctly. " Evidence." She muttered testily. " Which I'm losing time for right now, you know."

" Poison tree, Ace." Nick said. " I'll be there soon, hurry up." He hung up first, and she jammed her phone back into her pocket. Poison tree or not, she knew that anything in plain sight was allowed to be taken as evidence. Which is why she put the letters on top of the dresser and _then_ into her bag.

She heard the water stop in the bathroom a handful of minutes later, and she sprung up from the floor, dusting herself off. He didn't have any false bottoms under anything, to her dismay.

Thomas came out in a bathrobe, thankfully, taking a minute to stare at her from the bathroom hallway. He smiled, but she could still see that concerned look in his eyes. " You alright?" he asked. " You don't look so good."

Judy grimaced, rubbing her head and sighing loudly. " You know my partner? Someone snitched on me and now he's trying to figure out where I went." Geárr tensed a little, and she continued, paws punctuating her words. " If I'm not home soon… Who knows what he could do! He's always trying to 'protect' me, won't let me ever have any fun doing what _I_ want…" she stopped briefly in front of Geárr, searching his eyes and deepening her frown. " I thought I was being sneaky this time, but now…" she paused, thinking. " Now he's trying to ruin the few hours I'd get to have with a great guy."

Geárr rubbed his forehead, looking fearful. " You might have to go, Judy. Sorry! Sorry, but I really can't have that fox here- he might- um…" Judy took that opportunity to grab her bag and scurry out the room, her face filled with panic and regret. She left his place shouting a promise to try and make this up.

* * *

" You're trying to kill me." Nick said tiredly, leading her outside and towards a waiting cab. " Honestly, if you would listen to me and not go off and do these crazy things…"

They settled into the cab, got to her block without saying a word. He didn't even look at her, staring at the driver's headrest instead.

Nick walked with her upstairs, staying behind her. " You know you're stumbling, right?" he said. " You almost bust your head, there, careful."

She ignored him. It was just a headache so far, she felt fine otherwise. He was just nitpicking again. So close to home, then she could unwind.

* * *

" You know we're going to talk about this in the morning, right?" Nick said, leaning against her front door. He watched Judy chug the bottle of water he brought, drag herself over to and settle on top of her bed. She stared at the ceiling, waving him over.

He walked over beside her, and he felt a twinge of surprise when he noticed her paws shaking, which she kept wringing. She took a second to speak.

" I, um… I know you might be angry, but I…" she wrung her paws again, and he watched her expression become frustrated.

" I got some evidence I think." She said quickly, shifting her gaze towards him. " Might be useful, maybeitlleven-" She sat up, raising her voice. " He's an idiot! He knew who I was, and all he could think of was taking me back home, like I was some floozy or something! And he kept staring at me, trying to grab me, and I kept thinking there was going to be some sort of trap, or ambush, or something in the water…"

She grabbed Nick's arm, looking at him pleadingly. " I tried to focus, Nick, I did." she said, tearing up slightly. Nick sat to sit next to her, and she squeezed his arm. " But you hear all these things in the news, and from friends…"

Nick tried to open his arms up, and she remembered to let go so she could accept his hug. She felt him move away slightly after a second, but she squeezed him and he stayed still.

She didn't cry, too tired for that, but she kept fighting sleep in order to get everything out. She was halfway through complaining about him disappearing when he heard her drift off and start snoring.

Nick sighed. It was two in the morning, the third day on a favor, and they might be chasing nothing. She wanted to be a hero and finish things quickly, apparently, and… And for once he didn't have a definitive feeling on that. At least she was safe, and tomorrow he could get some answers.

The evidence had better be worth it, he thought.


	10. Chapter 10: I Was Angry With My Friend

**Chapter 10: I Was Angry With My Friend**

 **(A/N: No, the case Nick or Judy is on doesn't seem the most exciting. But they're both on it from a reason. It's frustrating, sure, but getting some motivation back helps a lot. Motivation is one of the most important things to have, isn't it?)**

* * *

The fresh air helped immensely. Nick took a deep breath, trying to steady his paws. Focus on anything else, he told himself- on the cracks in the concrete, on the faded color of the bench he was sat on, how it was a full moon tonight. Keeping his mind on what happened wouldn't do any good.

" I take it this isn't your kind of thing, Nicholas?" he heard. " Or maybe… Not used to the more physical things in this business." The muskrat going by the name of Shani sat next to him, brushing his clothes down. Nick took another breath, clasping his paws and clearing his throat. He tried to ignore the smell coming from the muskrat.

" Listen," Nick said, eyes fixed on the amber eyes of his supervisor. " This type of stuff, I can't keep on doing. Let me keep on doing the smuggling, the con jobs, I'm good at that. I'm no button-man, okay?"

Shani sighed, smiling at him. " And why should I allow that, Nicholas?" he said. " What if I really needed you here?"

Nick shook his head angrily. " Those rats, they do more than enough, and I've gotten you way more cash running talk-jobs for you. This is just…" Nick crossed his arms. " Ain't no joy in roughing up some small bit of prey."

Shani stroked what little chin he had thoughtfully, thick tail winding slowly. "Hm. So if I stop making come and work on _these_ jobs…" The muskrat's smile widened. "… You'll make even more of a profit everywhere else?"

Nick nodded. " I can guarantee you and the big cat at least a ten percent increase." Shani's eyes lit up at that, and he clapped Nick on the shoulder, wishing him the best and how he expected much.

* * *

He hadn't seen it as intimidation, not back then. That mangy rodent had pushed him around more than once, and he'd fallen for it every time. It'd had been _so_ satisfying to Tase him, just for those few moments.

Nick squeezed his stress ball again, bringing his eyes down from the ceiling and back to the sleeping rabbit. It was almost one p.m., and she was still fast asleep. The food he brought hadn't woken her, his leaving multiple times and slamming the door hadn't either. He appreciated the silence, sure, but he had questions- Which is why he gently shook her awake.

" Hey! Wake up already, your food's getting cold!" Judy felt someone pushing her back and forth over and over, like a jostling car ride. She kicked a foot out, and the shaking stopped briefly. Her eyes opened to a line of water bottles on her desk, along with a carton of food. She wrinkled her nose, smelling something drenched in sweat, exuding anxiety and… What had gone on last night?

She sat up, stretching her legs out and accepting the water bottle Nick offered her.

" What happened last night?" she said, glancing under her sheets. " I've got all these weird memories…"

Nick raised an eyebrow, opening up the food carton and handing her a slice of warm bread. " Evidence, remember? You were gonna tell me about Mr. Transportation." He settled back into her desk chair, picking his stress ball back up.

Judy scrambled to the edge of her bed, dropping crumbs all over her sheets. She dug for the carryon bag, digging out a plastic bag filled with envelopes.

" You got his mail?" Nick said, tilting his head. " I'm guessing that was all on his counter, right?" Judy nodded quickly, and Nick smirked. " Well, how are we supposed to not get prints-"

Judy pulled out a box of disposable gloves from her desk, pulling them on before picking out an envelope. Nick bit his tongue for the moment, focusing on the note.

 _Mason's sick. Doctor is expecting a few months until recovery. Any donations would help immensely._

" That's it?" Nick said. " So someone's in jail, and our friend is meant to pay towards a bail? Next." He handed her another bottle of water, that she quickly finished. The next letter was more verbose.

 _Mr. Secretary, I heartily believe that the bill to increase the price of train fare be amended to allow no more than a dollar price increase. As a hardworking Zootopian, I feel it would be a heinous crime to charge anything more. Please consider how this is affecting the taxpayer, the parent, the moonlighting worker…_

The letter trailed off on a rant about the buses not running on time, the narrowness and congestion on many of the streets, and the disgusting amounts of dirt and grime on the intersection of Renard and Oiche.

The next two letters made Judy's ears turn a deeper red, and she quickly placed them by Nick, muttering something about it not being right with him sitting there. Apparently, a doe by the name of L. had a very vivid memory of her past visits and went over new ideas in detail. Nothing interesting or useful then.

The last one was more work-safe.

 _I hope that you read this as everything comes crashing down around you, Tom. You'll make mistake after mistake, and sooner or later it's going to catch up to you. And I'll be there, sitting pretty with the house, the money, and…_

" Angry wife, a happy mistress…" Nick muttered. " Someone complaining about price raises, and someone's in the 'hospital'." He leaned back in the chair, watching Judy place the letters back into the bag, looking back at her notepad.

" Well, there's at least one motive," Judy said thoughtfully. " Wife feels betrayed and wants him humiliated- she definitely complains about him 80% of the time." She tapped her pen against her chest, thinking. " Maybe… Keep digging? She might have dirt on him if she's so angry. "

They argued for a bit on where to dig- Nick wanted to dig on his friends and income, Judy wanted to see if the wife had any plans to ruin him. They hashed out ideas for the next hour and a half, until Nick stood up, arms crossed and staring her down. He wanted to go for a walk, apparently.

* * *

Sunset was still a while away, and the breeze wasn't strong today. They wouldn't want to walk for long, and the crush of mammals on the sidewalk didn't help much. It had them pushing and skirting around for a while before they found a quiet spot.

" You want to talk about it some more?" Nick said, watching Judy out the corner of his eye. " I'll listen, promise."

Judy shook her head, and Nick lowered his gaze to the ground for a while before speaking up. He was careful to keep his gaze forward, his voice level and even.

" Being tough is great and all, Judy." He said. " I get it, I really do. But… But you got someone to talk to, okay? You know I don't like owing people." His tone became teasing. " And I _could_ pay you back by listening to my favorite rabbit for a while." She smiled slightly, and he continued. " Would it help if I said I was worried for you? "

" You don't have to be all dramatic, Nick." She said, rolling her eyes. " No reason to get all out of character to get me to talk."

Nick laughed, shaking his head. " I'm not allowed to worry? The most important mammal I know could've been hurt, and-" Nick saw her smile widen, her ears perk up a little higher. She was eyeing him now, and he continued. " – and I don't want to let you carry around hurt when it can be worked out." He said firmly. " Keeping stuff in leads to people getting messed up inside, angry and-"

" I get it," she said gently. " I'm- I'm not scared anymore, okay? There's plenty of guys like him, and I know I'll see more of them all the time. But, I got something that might have him get what he deserves."

Nick turned to her, frowning. " We ain't superheroes, partner. Things don't just disappear. What scared you last night?"

They walked for a while in silence. Judy eventually paused when they reached an empty part of town, biting her lip. " He was always trying to keep me near him, always trying to whisper in my ear or grab on-" she shook her head. " It's fine, really." She said. " I'm… I'm a detective, right? This is what I have to learn to deal with. Being alone, and not always having someone to swoop in and help me out…" Nick watched her stare straight ahead, mind somewhere else.

" I'm here right now." Nick reminded her. " And I'll try my hardest to be there when you need it, okay?"

Judy wrung her paws. " So you can pay back a favor?" she said, eyes downcast. " Just to pay me back…"

Nick's paws clenched, and he raised his voice. " To keep you going, because you're important. Okay? Keeping you happy isn't ever a favor, not after helping me through all my mess."

Judy shook her head. " Name one thing I've actually done. This whole thing-" she frowned. " I wanted this whole week to be about helping you, and what's actually been done? What kind of friend am I?"

Nick grabbed her paw carefully, stopping her and waiting until she faced him. " It's not about saying the right thing or doing something all the time, okay?" he said. "You want to keep hanging around me, you aren't scared of me, you treat me like I'm important. That already means a lot."

Judy's brow furrowed. " But all your past stuff, shouldn't I help you get over it? Talk you through the regret?"

Nick shook his head. " You doing all that stuff I just said… It helps a lot. I can go to sleep without thinking I'm bottom of the barrel, sometimes. I feel like I'm making a difference, you get me?" He squeezed her paw. " When you got someone telling everyone else to treat you right, when someone looks at you the way you do to me…" Judy's ears reddened again, and her eyes drifted to her paw encased in his. She stayed still.

Nick smiled. " Few more months," he said. " and I can be with you in Detectives Division, right? Once I get there, you'll have all this experience, great pay, and you can show me how it's done." He chuckled. " And we can gush about all the money we make now."

Judy squeezed his paw. " It'll be different without you there." She said sadly. " I'll have a new partner until then…"

Nick nodded thoughtfully. " So complain to me after work- I'll make it up to you." He thought for a second. " Couldn't hurt to get all that sadness and stuff out now, right?"

They started walking again, and Judy spoke up first, going on about how undercover work was terrifying, how she'd miss him, how she hoped she wouldn't change into someone cold. She kept telling him how scared she was that he was going to find someone else.

Nick brought up something she'd remember for a while.

" You know," Nick said, peering through shop windows they passed. " This case right now might be nothing, sure, won't ever get on the news. But that doesn't stop us from being heroes. We're still making a difference, even if that difference is one house at a time. And maybe one day we'll be big-h heroes again." Nick chuckled, shaking his head. " Sure is a difference from what I used to do… And where'd all this mush come from?" He sighed. " Guess the therapy is working. Ugh, Zur won't let me hear the end of it now..."

He started talking about someone named Shiny, and although she had no clue who that was, Nick didn't make him sound pleasant. It was only one day of venting, sure, but she still felt elated. Real progress!

It surprised him how easily he vented. It didn't hurt as bad as he thought it would, and she was still listening. It took him a while to place _why_ he did, too- he trusted her. After all the venting _she_ did… wasn't it right to do the same thing back? It was only fair.

It was a small talk, in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough. Nick didn't feel as stressed, and Judy felt happier than she'd been in a while. They went back to planning until they had to make their way to the Geárr's, goals in mind.


	11. Chapter 11: I'm Telling the Truth

**Chapter 11: I'm Telling the Truth**

 **( A/N: Friendship is hard, even when you have known each other for a while. Sometimes you keep secrets for good reasons, or what you think are good reasons. Does that make someone a bad friend?**

 **I finished my last chunk of this story at 12 chapters. This'll go over for sure, and I'll only know if I've improved or gotten worse with reviews! So critique away, please.)**

* * *

Around two more blocks to the Géarr house, and hopefully one of the last times he would have to walk down this way. Just press in the right places, Nick thought, and things would crumble.

"- and she was just going on and on about how I was moving so fast," he heard. " It's not like I just turned 20! What does she expect me to do, sit there and do nothing on patrol?"

" Hmm," Nick said. " And, um… Mom was really upset again, huh?" Apparently, Mrs. Hopps had called a few days ago, complaining about the Detective thing. Again. It was too dangerous, she wasn't in the right mindset for it, footwork was enough to handle, and look where that had landed her a few months ago!

Judy nodded, staring at the street, watching cars whizz by. Some of them looked older, real classics. " She's gonna go nuts at this rate! Full-on March Hare!" Judy grimaced, Nick noting the flex of her ears. " Imagine if she knew about the club- I'd probably get dragged home. Lectured. Then she'll probably cry and cry, ugh. "

Nick grinned. " So I get a break?" he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. " What's her number again? Just so I know?"

Judy shook her head, smiling a little. " She'd kill you too, running into all those dangerous things you do." Judy's face became quizzical, her lips silently moving as the rabbit tried to piece something out. " I can barely remember that whole story you told me, Nick. You took down a hideout, right?" Nick nodded. " And you… Only took out two rats on your own? And only found one in the entrance?" Judy tilted her head, eyeing him. " Or am I remembering it wrong?"

Nick balked, rubbing the back of his neck and faltering in his step. " Oh, so you, um, remember what I told you," he grumbled. " Is there any reason that can't be true?"

Judy nodded. " Big house for a black panther, right? And lots of little rats with her? Doesn't make sense that there'd be all that space and just one or two guys standing there waiting for you."

Nick shrugged. " Maybe I got lucky." Judy scoffed, and Nick frowned. " Hey, I can have lucky moments! We survived a train crash, remember? And a mob boss?"

Judy crossed her arms, pausing at the crosswalk. " So tell me the story again. You drove away with Thom to clear out the house…"

* * *

"You done making nice with her? That'll be enough, right? " Thom put the window back up, glancing down at Nick shifting around with every bump of the squad car. The fox didn't have as much backbone as he'd thought, sticking his neck out for that rabbit like that. But weeks of making promises and schmoozing to the Commander had done it, and it _had_ gotten them here, after all. Still, not like Judy could make a good Detective. Not working with them, anyhow.

" Told you it'd pay off," Nick said triumphantly. " She got us everything we need- Evidence to make this whole thing stick, a good distraction for you and me to find and scope out the place…"

" Brown-noser," Thom muttered. " You ain't getting promoted with her, Nick, cool it for a bit." Nick stopped yammering, thankfully. " Ready for the hard part, or am I supposed to do this without you?"

Nick, of course, had to hem and haw for a bit, tried to complain about the lack of gear in his size, why _he_ had to be the one on point. There might have been something in there insulting the strike team commander, but Thom had tuned him out long before then. Thankfully, Nick did eventually come around.

" I'll do it, but this is the final leg of it, right?" Nick scratched behind an ear, trying to meet Thom's gaze. " I think after bringing down one of the main gangs, I'd finally get some sort of respect…"

Thom shrugged. " Maybe you should beat them at bowling, too. Maybe then the rest of them would like you more."

* * *

Nick was given three flashbangs, one tranq pistol (sized for animals around his weight, apparently), a tight stab vest, and twelve shots. Protesting about poison earned him a dismissive wave. Someone led him past the staging area, and he eventually found himself on point, clutching a flashbang like it was some fragile thing, ready to break apart at any moment.

Thom braced against the opposite side of the doorway, shifting uncomfortably against his stab vest and struggling to hold the undersized pistol- had to make sure they went unconscious. " Hurry up!" he hissed. " Give the signal and let's be done-"

Vilkas, impatient brute that he was, stepped forward with the battering ram, slamming it against the door. Nick saw one of the bolts fly off, skidding off somewhere to his side and leaving the door hanging loosely against the frame. He heard a chorus of shouts from inside the house, some panicked voices. Resisting the urge to peek inside, he angled his paw until he was able to toss in a flashbang underhand. He cut his arm slightly trying to pull back in time to cover his ears and turn to the side.

He heard much more screaming inside than he was hoping for, but he swallowed and raised his pistol, edging inside with the rest of the team on his heels. He stepped on one rat in the doorway, who'd been holding what looked like a bottle of something. Two more were pressed against a blindspot past the door, one of them lunging at him and trying to claw at his face. Nick sank a round into both, releasing a held breath as they sank to the floor. The smell that hit his nose reminded him of a mound of garbage on a hot day, sitting in the afternoon sun. Not pleasant.

Thom trudged through the mass of writhing rats, wrinkling his nose. " Good toss, Nick!" the cheer was patently forced. " That'll earn some respect from the boys, I think." He toed some of the stunned rats, pushing them towards the front door and letting the security crew bag them. Thom eyed the hallway leading to the kitchen and meeting room. " More that way."

Nick finished sinking rounds into the pile, looking for bits of tails or ears sticking out and aiming for flanks. He could feel his left arm throb after he lowered the pistol, moving towards the hallway. Maybe the cook was still here, the rest of the housekeeping staff… Could they have gotten out before all this? Everything smelled of rat here- he couldn't even smell Thom.

The hallway was empty for now, though, and he inched forward, breathing easy knowing that Thom was right behind him. He turned around once he got to the kitchen door, and found no one behind him- although he could hear plenty of footsteps a few rooms away.

Nick shook his head. Had to check if the civvies had made it before he could go back, it should be qui-

* * *

Nick leaned back on the bench, rubbing his shoulder and taking a deep breath. Judy looked at him expectantly, her brow furrowing as the seconds ticked on.

" And? What happened?" Her arms crossed, and her expression turned sour. Nick pointed at his shoulder.

" Same as what I told you before," he explained. " Rats hiding, got stabbed, plenty of bruising and cuts." Nick straightened up slightly. " The story was real, I just left off some of the window dressing, the fluffy stuff."

" Thirty rats is a lot more than two," Judy said, frowning. " You could've told me the first time."

" I didn't want to worry you-you would've panicked and gotten even madder," Nick explained, stomach tightening as Judy shook her head angrily and stood up.

" Nick," she began. " Is there something going on? Some sting I wasn't told of? "

Nick took a breath, frowning. " No! Nothing that I know about, at least. We just ran into some random rabbit that begged you to go meet-" Nick paused. " Wait, how'd he know to find you, and how come I haven't seen him again?" Judy bit her lip. " What's going on?"

" Nothing." she insisted. " Nothing is going on. Sometimes things are just coincidences. "

* * *

" Sir, just consider it," she said. " I guarantee you he'd be worth it. He has the skillset, he has experience, he would make a fantastic fit in the Division."

Detective Vicks shifted around in his chair, his eyes digging into her, no trace of a smile on his face. " You've barely even settled into training and you want to ask me that?" A pause. " You should know better than that, Trainee ."

Judy kept her paws crossed behind her back, standing straight. " I know, sir, but Officer Wilde _does_ have the skills this Division could use- past history notwithstanding," Vicks grunted. " I don't think it's a good idea to let that talent go to waste in Gangs. They don't seem… appreciative. Sir."

Vicks swiveled his chair to the sides slightly, keeping his gaze on her. His paws tapped a pencil laying on his desk. " For good reason," he countered. " Wilde has no reason to be trusted with anything yet. Even if he wasn't on probation, he still wouldn't- don't interrupt me, Hopps- even if he still wasn't on probation, I don't have any reason to consider him for training."

" He's the one who-" Judy but her lip- telling him about Nick's hints might get her kicked out the training. " He's shown his investigative skills multiple times, and being a small predator, good nose or no, he'd be wasted in Gangs."

Vicks shook his head, " Doesn't make him above suspicion. You don't give a conman the tools to hurt more folk."

" He took down the Rainforest gang!" she protested. " He saved plenty of families from that apartment fire, as well, and the Bellwether-"

" Watch your tone, Officer." Vicks stood up from his chair, shoving it back into his desk. " Bellwether was luck, old news now, and every other officer is working just as hard."

" Just give him one chance, an early consideration." She said, nearly pleading. " Let him prove it, and if it doesn't work out, then I can stop bothering you about this."

Vicks sighed. " There's the Geárrs, husband and wife _might_ be into some suspect dealings. Something nice and dull, should be easy for your fox friend to solve, yeah?"

Judy nodded eagerly. " Yes sir, thank-"

" But," Vicks said, smiling slightly. " You can't tell him anything, just accompany him. I want to see if he lives up to all your shilling, and I don't trust him alone anyway." He thought for a moment. " Don't be surprised if he gives up."

Judy fought back the argument rising in her throat. Nick could do it.

" I'll expect results soon, Trainee," Vicks said.

Nick was still staring disbelievingly. " Sometimes," she said, slightly glum. " You just get caught up in things. I promise though, this will all turn out for the best."

Nick stood up, regarding her carefully. He glanced back down the street, seeing the crosswalk to the Geárr's block a few more minutes away. The sun was set, the wind was picking up and offering a good chill.

" Let's get this thing over with," he said tiredly. " Back to vacation, soon, just… Can that happen already?" Whatever was going on, he thought, he hoped he was just being paranoid.


	12. Chapter 12: Lost Patience

**Chapter 12: Lost Patience**

 **(A/N: Not the end yet! I hope I'm making a good story for you all- as always feedback helps me write better ones for you all in the future. Also, I'm happy to do FAQs or answer questions about any things you guys have noticed/want to ask about. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!)**

* * *

Judy stared up at the ceiling, legs aimlessly kicking. They had begun the case now, and Nick seemed like he would stick with it for at least the week. So what was wrong?

Judy rubbed her face, grumbling. She knew what it was, why she had trouble sleeping and did even less than usual. She glanced over at the carrot pen at her desk, rolled up against her psych textbooks. She had tried doing it on her own, trying to find any lead on the Secretary, recording anything she could from the leads she found. But assistants and random officials didn't make for any progress. Maybe, she had thought, Nick could find something she didn't, and get some recognition along the way. She had thought it was funny, at first- it seemed like a reverse of what he did to her- but now that they were actually doing this...

Was it even worth it? Was she just wasting time on something Vicks knew they couldn't do? At this rate, she might have to take more drastic measures, get closer to that buck and see if she could find or hear anything... That's what a Detective did anyway, right?

She stood up from her bed, stretching her legs and pacing around her room, finishing off the last bottle of water on her desk. Nick would get bored of this investigation soon, and then this whole thing would be for nothing. She couldn't let her anxiety show, she had to stay positive and keep him motivated. Might be a good time to get better at persuasion, she thought bitterly.

* * *

The families and couples walking by them picked up their pace soon after pushing by them.

" You really can't tell me anything?" Nick's voice came out tired, hurt. "Are you of all folk going to keep secrets from me too?"

"It's not like that, Nick." Judy wrung her hands, staring at the fuming, pained eyes of her partner. " I just... Orders are orders, okay? If I break them then it'll end up hurting the both of us, but if we wrap this up..."

Nick's brow furrowed, but he remained silent, waiting.

"I promise," Judy gave him an earnest look. " I'd never drag you into anything horrible. You're too important to me for that."

Nick's ears twitched, his face remaining tense. Judy stayed quiet, walking beside him.

* * *

They paused in front of the Geárr household, Judy toeing the ground and Nick glancing up at the sky. It was dark now, the wind was picking up, stronger than it had been in a long time by either of their estimations. Nick could smell the flowers, the bitter pheromones of the Geárrs. They were home, even the Secretary. Odd.

That might not be the most enjoyable thing, having Judy and the idiot around each other again. " Partner," he muttered. "You gonna be okay dealing with Mr. Secretary?"

" He's home?" She said, brow raised and ears lowered. " Maybe... Maybe we can get something from him," she said thoughtfully. " Fake him out and get him to spill his guts."

Nick nodded. " I'll do that, won't be a-"

"I can go with you," Judy said quickly, pacing up past the flower-boxes to the doorway. "I've got the recorder, we'll need that for evidence."

Nick grunted, pulling his paws out of his pockets and smoothing his shirt. Time to be persuasive again, joy of joys. Maybe now things would actually be exciting. He followed her up the steps, waiting for her to knock.

She reached for the knocker, pausing slightly and glancing back at him.

"Thanks for sticking through this boring case, Nick," she said apologetically. "Once we hit Detective, I'm sure things will get more exciting."

" Jude," she took a step down from the door. " No more secrets after this, okay? Not unless we have to."

Judy nodded. " No secrets unless we have to, for work." She paused, glancing down at the line of gleaming cars, watching a family of weasels, some ferrets, and a mouse amble down the block. "I hate secrets as much as you do. I promise this will make sense soon."

Thomas answered the door this time, fidgeting nervously when he spotted Judy and holding back a shout when he saw Nick behind her, glowering. " Um, hi! Are you all here to talk to the wife? I, um…" He looked odd- he was panting slightly, rubbing his throat occasionally, his eyes somewhere else.

Judy heard Tabitha call her over, and she pushed against the door lightly, Tom scurrying out of the way. He heard him and Nick muttering behind her, Tom sounding panicked, worried.

" Please, I really need to talk to you!" Tom muttered. " You- you would understand, out of everyone… I just need you to-"

Tabitha greeted her warmly, her sister hovering over the kitchen stove and stirring a pot of vegetables. Judy sat at the kitchen island, plastering a smile and keeping an ear focused on the conversation by the door.

" So, the husband came home early," she said conspiratorially. " Special occasion, Tabby?"

Tabitha sighed, head resting in a paw, tone sarcastic. " He said that someone at work was harassing him, that he had to come home early to talk to _you_ and that fox." She frowned, glaring at her husband. " I know how he'll be with you- If he tries anything with you, just let me know and I'll make sure he regrets it."

" You're _such_ a good friend, Tabby," Judy muttered. " I'll see what he wants, be back soon. I want to talk to you about some stuff, anyway."

She ambled back to Nick and the Secretary. Nick had opened the door again, and with her joining them, the three of them went outside. Tom had quickly gone to a nearby bench, gripping the sides of the seat and visibly fighting the urge to start shaking, albeit unsuccessfully. He was leaning forward, almost as if he was having stomach pains.

"I… I need your help, please!" Tom said, glancing at both of them. " I've got someone following me around, and I think they're trying to get at me, you guys have to do something!"

Nick crossed his arms. "You could've asked the cops at City Hall, or filed a report this morning with the station," he countered. " What do you actually want?"

Tom paused, biting his lip. "The… The guy following me is someone I _may_ know, working for people I might not want to claim I have connections with."

" So you tell two cops at the end of the day?" Judy said disbelievingly. Nick rolled his eyes, muttering something about stupidity and acting.

The Secretary glanced at Nick. " You… You would know what to do about the people following me, I thought. And if I came home early enough, you'd be there to tell, just you two and _not_ the whole police force breathing down my neck…"

" Were you going to bribe us, then?" Tom nodded slowly, and Nick shook his head.

" Who's the tracker, then?" Nick said. " Name, species, looks…"

" I think his name is Musa," Tom sputtered, clutching the bench again. " A mouse, small, pale, and he's been following me around since this morning, and I'm pretty sure he's here now, just waiting for me to be left alone…" He grunted suddenly, rubbing his neck again. " And I swear, he did something to me…. I drank some coffee right before I came home, and I felt fine at first, but now... I can barely breathe, like I'm choking…"

" Does your mouth taste like garlic?" Judy glanced at Nick quizzically, who had stepped closer to Tom and was looking at him inquisitively. " Your heart isn't beating that fast, either…" Nick mused.

" Help me and I'll tell you whatever you want." Tom pleaded. " They want me gone, don't like how I've been acting and now they've lost their patience…" He grabbed Nick's shirt. " I really don't know what to do! Can't you talk to them?"

Judy took a closer look at Tom, noting the slight sway of his body, the gripping of his throat, his stomach. He was staring at the sidewalk, trying to avoid the glare of the streetlights. She placed the recorder back into her pocket, digging into the opposite one. Judy palmed her cellphone, dialing the emergency line.

Nick stepped back, and she took him to the side. " Poison?" she muttered. " Anything we can do besides call an ambulance?"

" I've seen this before," he said. " Sounds like he got a low dose, but still enough to keep him woozy. Ambulance, tell them to expect barb-"

They heard yelling from inside the house, the two of them bristling and stepping towards the door. Nick glanced at Tom, and Judy took a spot near him, muttering to the operator on the phone. Nick ran towards the house, pushing against the front door, finding it locked. He braced himself, hearing scuffling and shouting coming from inside, kicked at the lock, watching the wood crack slightly. He shook his head in frustration- new door meant tough wood, no way he was-

Judy shoved past him, bringing Tom's key into the lock and getting the door open. Nick ran inside after assurances that police and medics were a few minutes away.

He found the sister in the hallway, outside of the kitchen and holding a paw to her shoulder. He could smell blood the most, but it was more than that- whoever was in the house had a poisoned tool, maybe even dipped their claws in it.

He bent over her, pulling her paw away and grimacing at the deep puncture, along with several smaller pinpricks. The sister was sobbing, and he could make out something about Tabitha being in the living room, that she needed help.

Nick paused, glancing at the living room further in the house, and back down at the sister. " Hey," he said, adopting a soothing tone. "What's your name?" Through the sobs, she was able to tell him. " Okay, Laura, I'll get you out of here, just grab my paw and- yeah, like that- let's get you outside to the paramedics and we'll get your sister, okay?"

He led her outside, and was grateful to hear the wail of sirens. " Just hold on, okay?" he told her, as she pressed against his shoulder and bawled, fighting to breathe. It reminded him an awful lot of his partner. " You'll be fine, Judy will watch you, the medics will get all that nasty gunk out… Breathe, please."

He sat her on the bench next to Judy, and ran back into the house, trying to follow the unfamiliar scent. It led past the kitchen, the floor a mess of spilled water, rice, and vegetables. He saw steps leading into the carpeted room, and he followed them past that room (a hobby room, he discovered), and into a side bathroom. He had to skid to a halt when he noticed the rat at the door. Black-furred, at least as far as he could tell from the muted colors of the clothes he wore, and of an unusual size. His face wasn't visible, Black Fur facing the door.

" Open the door," the rat said calmly. " Or I'm going upstairs to find your children. It's very simple." He could hear Tabitha protesting, crying, pleading. He didn't smell as much blood from this part of the house… She had a chance then, but he had to time it right.

Black Fur tested the lock again, sighing and digging into his pocket. " I'm offering you the quick way!" he called. " Last chance." He started moving away from the door, and Tabitha started screaming and begging again. Nick moved quickly, and brought his shoulder forward, aiming at the back of the rat's head…


	13. Chapter 13: No More!

**Chapter 13: No More!**

 **(A/N: Enjoy, guys and girls! Let me know what you think, and if you all have any questions or comments! I answer PMs, and I'd love to see how you all think I'm doing! Couldn't do this without the criticism and support!)**

* * *

Rats were small things, easy to push around just by virtue of being bigger and heavier. Nick wasn't afraid of weight, or being punched around. The trick was to avoid all of the sharp and pointy tools this one carried. The paws would be dipped too.

Nick dashed forward when Tabitha started screaming again, begging and pleading. The rat was right in front of the door- one hit and he'd be out. Nick moved quickly and brought his shoulder down right before he made contact, feeling the rat sprawl forward and slam against the door. Glancing up, he saw the rat pinned against the door, slack.

" Hey!" he called. " You okay, Geárr?" He heard a shuffling of feet behind the door, the doe trying to crack open the door to peek out. He backed up, pulling the rat off of the door and holding him off to the side. The doe poked her head out the bathroom, and Nick grimaced at her red eyes, the heavy shaking and breathing. He glanced down at the rat in his grip, still limp. Nick was pretty sure he was drooling.

" Did he get a good hit on you?" he said, " Ambulance should be outside, they've got-"

" Are my children alright?" she said frantically, pushing past him, running towards the front of the house screaming her head off.

Nick glanced down again at the limp rat, deciding to ball up the back of his shirt and hoist him along. It made for awkward walking- he almost slipped when he made it back to the kitchen, the water on the floor making a good footing difficult. He steadied himself on the island, feeling movement from the rat.

He heard the scrabbling of paws on tile, and the rat lunged towards his leg, digging his claws through the fabric and piercing his thigh. Nick yelled, tried to smash the rat against the island, but he squirmed out of Nick's grasp, quickly backing away and reaching for the needle pouched at his waist. _A_ needle, Nick noticed. He had plenty of them. Nick started backing up towards the front entrance, keeping his eyes on the rat.

" Hello, Wilde." The rat said cheerfully. " Surprised to see you." The rat wiped off a large amount of spittle and blood from his face, his nose dripping and slightly bent. He considered the distance for a second, tensed, and sprang at Nick, aiming for his leg again, missing by a hair's breadth.

Nick saw the stairwell leading upstairs slide past his vision- the door would be just a few more steps away then. The rat let out a disappointed huff. " Oh, Panya won't like it if I let you go…" He dashed forward this time, and Nick brought his arms down to his middle, tensing.

Then the kids ran out the front door with their mother, bumping into and unsteadying him.

* * *

Judy saw the kids scramble out of the townhome, sobbing, Tabitha right behind them and leading them towards the police cars and ambulances. A medic came forward, quickly going from child to child, checking for wounds. Tabitha and her kids had come out unscathed, thankfully. Judy glanced back at the house while trying to calm down one child. Nick still hadn't come out, and that was creating a knot in her stomach.

Judy turned to the officers who had shown up on scene, currently leaning against their patrol car and chatting amongst themselves. " Hey!" they glanced at her, looking slightly annoyed. " Are you going to go secure the interior or what?" she pointed towards the front door. " We might have multiple suspects inside, and you're just standing here!"

One of them, a beaver, shrugged. " It'll be fine. Civilians are secure, and anyone coming out will have to run into us." Judy shook her head, stepping closer and pointing at his belt.

" Give me your Taser," she said. " I'm going to go in and check inside." The beaver unclipped his Taser, handed it to her butt first and turned back to his partner. Judy whirled around, primed the Taser, and ran off to the front door. She ran into Nick laying on the carpet, clutching his stomach and trying to sit himself up. She could see blood on his shirt, on his leg, bright and plentiful.

" Nick!" she knelt down, looking him over and trying to look under his paws. Nick shook his head, trying to nudge her back. " Judy, really?" he snapped. " It's-"

Something small crashed into her, and she felt claws on her neck. Judy scrambled back, arms reaching up and trying to pull whatever it was off. She could hear panting in her ear, felt an arm trying to get a good purchase, something sharp against her side. She slammed into the wall on her left, and the rat lost his grip slightly, snarling. Her paws dug into his flank, and she found purchase on the back of his shirt, managing to grip hard and throw him down and away from her.

Judy felt a wetness on her shoulder and briefly felt around, veins cold. Her paw came away coated lightly in a clear liquid.

She brought the Taser up, aimed at the lump of fur sprawled out on the ground, heaving and struggling to move. The darts went out, and the rat twitched repeatedly, grunting and struggling to stand up. Judy kicked him in the side, stomping on an outstretched paw and then aiming again at his side and stomach. He wasn't moving anymore, but she had to make sure it wasn't an act. So she kept kicking and stomping.

Eventually, someone pushed past her and began handcuffing the passed-out suspect. " You know," the beaver said, frowning, " You can let go of that trigger now, it's been out of juice for a while." He hefted the suspect up onto two feet, dragging him towards the front door.

Judy glanced down at the Taser, the darts having fell out and emptied. She let go of the trigger, taking a deep breath, feeling her heart pound in her chest and her muscles tense. Her paws were shaking heavily, and breathing came in heaves.

" Someone's got a violent streak," Nick muttered. She was shaking, her paws flexing and gripping at air. She had gotten lucky, thankfully- he didn't see any wounds on her, at least none that had drawn blood or punctured. The rat, meanwhile, had lost a few teeth and had more than a few broken bones. " You want to call those medics over, please?" Nick took a slow breath, trying to keep his face neutral. Panicking equaled making things worse, more blood loss.

She bent over him again, trying to pull his paws away and crying about how she was sorry she hadn't come in sooner, screaming at the people outside to hurry up. She didn't listen to him very well- telling her to stay calm and that it was only some minor pokes didn't do much to stop the crying and apologies.

He was loaded into an ambulance, stuck with an IV. He heard a huge commotion outside, banging noises and shouts as they drove away, but his focus was on the hysterical rabbit standing at the end of the stretcher.

* * *

When Nick was done being transported to the hospital, Judy was whisked away to do the proper thing- debrief and write a report. The debriefing team listened, promises were made to get to the bottom of this. That helped her get through the night, helped her stay calm when she wasn't allowed to visit Nick for the next three days. The regret and guilt stayed, though, and that made it harder to fight the older guilt she had kept pent up.

But, she told herself, what was she going to do about it? Who would she be if she just kept reacting and being impulsive at the wrong times?

* * *

Judy slipped into his room quietly, glancing down at the stack of books she brought with her and frowning. She wasn't allowed to bring food, sure, but would he really want to-

" Well, hello!" she heard, and she glanced back up, her face beaming. " Are you with the press too? Gonna take my picture and ask me a bunch of questions?" Nick shifted on his bed, staring at the books in her paws with an amused expression. " Or are you here to drop off those _horrible_ Jack Savage novels that some dumb bunny makes me read?"

Judy smiled, placing the books down on a table by his bed. " I figured the big hero was bored with sitting here all day, watching reruns," she said. " And you have to meet some of your fans, don't you?"

Nick nodded, resting his paws on his lap. " I know some of my fangirls are so worried…" he teased, " But I'm fine! I had to get some transfusions and chemical flushes, sure, but I made it through!" Nick grimaced. " I thought that garlic taste was horrible. Copper and morphine are worse. Ugh."

She had gripped the railing of his bed, and was staring at him, eating up every word. He sighed. " I'm fine, Judy. Not all that blood was mine, really."

Judy took a deep breath, glancing down at where she'd seen the wounds. " That was a good gash on your leg, though, and your stomach…"

" Just small little pokes," he insisted. " Sure, he had some sharp claws, but nothing a few stitches can't fix up." Judy shook her head again, and he heard her mutter something about 'her fault'. " What is it?"

Judy stared back up at him, standing up straight with a stony expression on her face. " It's not small pokes!" she said. " It's you getting hurt because I wanted to stay outside and be Miss Softie, helping out the weepy kids. I could've walked in there way sooner, could've stopped you from being gutted like that- don't roll your eyes at me!"

Nick shook his head. " I wasn't gutted, okay? If I was, I might have not made-" he stopped, sighed. " I got that rat pretty good before you got there, okay? He would've been knocked out if he wasn't on seventeen different drugs. They drug up their dudes before they send them out- takes a while to knock them out."

Judy shook her head. " I still could've done something, and I should've. And…. And you know what?" Judy searched his eyes, seeing worry and some pain. They were dulled from the morphine- he was meant to be sleeping.

" Nick," she said firmly. " I don't want to be a burden to you anymore." Nick opened his mouth to protest, and she raised her voice. " I dragged you into this case thinking it was going to be good for you- I **assumed** it would be- and I ended up wasting your vacation, made you worry… I even had to get you to come and pull me out the fire, and the next day you get cut up because I wanted to be soft!"

Judy pointed at his gown, the bandages and gauze poking through. " Seeing you in a hospital bed because of _me…_ No! No more!" Judy crossed her arms, glaring at her increasingly worried-looking partner. " I'm going to do this right, Nick, so I don't…" she remembered the blood, the far-away look in Nick's eyes, how his paws were shaking so hard even while he acted calm… " You're a hero, Nick, and I'm going to make up for all the sacrifices you made."

Nick didn't say much for a while, but she could see his paws kneading his bedsheets. Judy felt determined, Nick apprehensive. Judy wouldn't let this case go, and this time she would do it _right_.


	14. Chapter 14: What Good Are You Alone?

**Part II: Mouse-Hunting**

 **Chapter 14: What Good Are You Alone?**

 **(A/N: I went beyond 13 chapters this time! The story as a whole isn't over yet, wouldn't make sense to start a new one with all these unanswered questions. It's one thing to have themes, it's another to explore them. Let me know if I succeed or fail, readers!)**

 **Also, murid is a term for things in the Muridae family of animals- mice and rats.)**

* * *

The next few days were busy, spent gathering information. Judy had a list of names to go through, to track down and squeeze as much information out of. Panya, the Geárrs, the muskrat Nick had told her about. The Geárrs were either in the hospital or being interviewed by police, and Panya, being a gang leader, wasn't exactly touchable right now. That meant interrogating the incarcerated muskrat- couldn't hurt to ask one of her rivals, she figured.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to say anything to you?" the muskrat smiled, leaning forward in his seat. He'd gone by plenty of names, apparently- Shani and Apara were the more recent ones. He still tried to be imposing, even in the visitation room of the prison. Sitting in a jumpsuit and table-bolted cuffs did little to wipe the smug and searching look on his face.

Judy wracked her brain for case information." Recently, there were two murids involved in an attempted murder of a city official. They seemed to have gang connections," Judy paused, watching the curious expression on the muskrat's face. " And we know that you happen to have had quite a few rats and mice under your employ…"

The muskrat's expression darkened, the small smile he had slowly having turned into a frown as she spoke. "I smuggle and I extort, yes, but I don't send assassins. My workers were spies, trackers, thieves. " he said. " Wouldn't you, Detective-" he smiled when she flinched " - have your time better spent digging into the other gangs? Interrogate your suspects, walk the streets and harass your multitudes of informants." He chuckled. " You must have plenty, thanks to Wilde handing you things on a silver platter."

" So some drugged-up rat will know more than some supposedly-intelligent gang leader?" she said calmly. "That's kind of embarrassing, isn't it?" Judy shook her head slowly, watching his frown return. " It makes sense, though- with how fast your gang fell apart after we caught you-"

" Nicholas caught me," Shani said flatly. " All you did was walk around a slum and bumble into clues. And it was clues for the worthless slum no one wanted a piece of."

Judy smiled slightly. " We found an awful lot of stolen goods in that slum- the majority of it connected to you," she pointed out. " And your hideout in the Rainforest offered up plenty too."

" Again, 'Detective'," Shani said sarcastically, " Nicholas and the wolves did that. I've got it on good authority that a majority of your time was spent talking to old women and children." Shani chuckled. " You wouldn't even know my name if it wasn't for Nick. What good are you with him in hospital?"

Judy crossed her arms, noting the clock out of the corner of her eye. Fifteen minutes left before he was escorted back to his cell. The muskrat was trying to waste her time. "Interfering in a police investigation can add to your time here, you know," she said firmly.

" I'm not really concerned with adding more time to my life sentence," he said. " Go continue failing at your job, please. I'm not helping with your mouse-catching troubles." He began looking past her, staring at the wall and pretending something held his interest there.

Judy called for the guard, going off towards her next lead.

* * *

The black rat looked little better than she had left him. He was missing a handful of teeth, his nose was bent at a slight angle, and he kept shifting around in his seat, eyes darting around the room. Judy wasn't sure if he actually looked at her the entire time she was there.

" You gotta tell them how much pain I'm in." he pleaded, half out of his seat. " I can't, I can barely- I need something to keep all this pain down. Isn't that part of my rights, to fair treatment?"

Judy nodded, looking sympathetic. This one had a problem, one that she could exploit. " I know, I know. I'll see if I can't do something to help with the aches, but I need some information first." The rat nodded eagerly. "Why were you at the Geárr's?"

" To dust the buck," he said. " Was told he was a problem, that he needed to be removed so things could… could 'proceed more smoothly'." He saw the look on her face. " I know I went after the wife first, but it's not like I could get past you and the fox to get to him! Get the wife, maybe a kid or two, and then he dies from a heart-" Victor paused, looking down at his lap and settling down into his seat.

" I'll get you some medication," Judy reminded. " Who sent you to do the job?"

"Panya," he said morosely. "She takes care…. Takes care of us, a purpose, a place to stay, medicine…" he glanced back up at her. " You don't understand, rabbit… So many pups at once in a litter, so much money taken to feed them all, to give them a good life… Makes folk want to do anything just so all their brothers and sisters could make it another day…"

Judy waited, watching the rat's mind drift into some long-past memory. She _wanted_ to remind him that he had threatened to kill children, that it made it a little difficult to sympathize with someone who stoops that low. He was a good actor, in her mind. But she stood up, instead. " Medicine for information. Where would someone go to find Panya?"

* * *

Smaller mammals had their own parts of town, sure. But those parts of town didn't always translate to good places to live- it might not be close enough to work, might be prone to spillover crime from the bigger areas (like her little foray during the Bellwether case, she remembered not-so-fondly)… That meant there were murid communities transplanted into different areas of town. The first one she visited was by her own place, built in and around her apartment block. The rat had told her Panya had a good amount of sway in that community. Best to get a friend in there, she thought. Then they could point her in the right direction.

Finding a mouse to talk to was difficult, to put it mildly. It's not like she could walk up to their doors and knock- she had to wait outside their houses, pace around in front of the restaurants and theatres (which meant walking up and down her apartment hallway). It did eventually attract attention, though- namely, from one indignant mouse named Luke, who spent five minutes berating her for loitering.

Luke scowled at her, staring up at her with disdain. " And you think that by snooping and marching around..."

" That I could see what the problems are here," she said. " Bring some attention to issues that go unnoticed by the city."

The mouse shook his head. " A rabbit knows nothing about the troubles of a mouse or a rat," he said. " And yet you claim that by meeting one broken rat ganger that you understand how difficult things are..." His eyes shifted from hers, his face pensive.

" Then let me learn," she said, " Me being here might mean a change for the better for a lot of folk." She paused, thinking. " If only a mouse understands now, then things can only go up if others understand."

The mouse chuckled, shaking his head. " We'll see. Come on, let me show you something."

* * *

There was a corkboard in the hallway listing weekly games, contests, local events. Smaller mammals couldn't exactly get a good look at it, so they had their own built at the appropriate height. It was also a good spot for folk to meet up and spread their ideas, she found out. Right now, an ancient-looking rat was standing in front of the cork-board, arguing with a crowd of around twenty murids.

"Just listen!" The old rat pleaded, waving a paw around himself to scare away the hovering gnats. " We don't all have the means to take care of all these children, so instead of letting them suffer-" an indignant shout came up from the crowd, but the old rat didn't flinch. " - let them work in studies, contribute to science, for the good of everyone! Why let them starve and di-"

A group of mice surged forward, shoving and pushing at the rat. Judy turned back to her guide.

" See?" Luke shrugged, shaking his head. " How would you ever understand that? What would some rabbit say about an issue that she could never relate to?"

" I could understand with time," she countered. " Just watch."

Luke thought a moment, watching the crowd shove the rat away, ignoring his complaints. " It's not just this, you know. Lots of little things that folk like you would have a hard time getting," he said, frustrated.

" But you're still showing me bits and pieces," she pointed out. " Must be for a good reason."

Luke nodded slowly. " I know why you're here, and… It might be nice having some real police presence, get this place cleaned out and some opportunity brought in." He thought a moment. " But, getting you _to_ her will take trust and knowledge." He looked back up at her.

" You _could_ just tell me where she is and then everything would be fine," Judy said, half-joking.

Luke shook his head. " We need proof that the void left behind by her leaving is going to be filled by something better," he said, with a sudden firmness. Looking closer at him, Judy could see the tiredness in his eyes, the hopeful way he looked at her when she spoke of help and understanding.

" It'd… be nice if you could help," Luke said, " It'd really be very nice."


	15. Chapter 15: I Try, But it Just

**Part II, Chapter 15: I Try, But it Just…**

 **(** **A/N: What's of keen interest to me is how people will fight to keep their mind in balance- no matter what's hurting them. Sometimes that doesn't go so well, and people break. With the right tools for that person, though, people can come out stronger.**

 **I also love how we tell people one thing when we're feeling another, not because we want to lie to them, but to protect or prevent worry. Basically, a different mask for every situation.)**

* * *

The station counselor's office was cozy- dimmed lights, a set of comfy chairs to sit on, some snacks in a bowl next to his desk… And yet he always came in here feeling on edge. The scented candles Zur liked to burn in the morning did very little to fix that.

Zur leaned forward in his seat, paws clasped, gazing at him intently. Nick squeezed his stress ball tightly, eyes darting across the room, focusing on the plaques on the wall, the shape of the door, the dull blue of Doc's shirt.

" I'm seeing a lot of nervousness, Nick," Zur said softly. " What's going on inside?"

Nick took a deep breath. " I could've done more," he said, trying and failing to ignore the crushing sensation in his chest. He had to stay with it, though- confront and banish, he knew that. " I'm… I'm sad, angry, because I could've done more for all those families." The next moment, he found himself blurting out a flood of words.

" Seventeen mammals gone!" he snapped, " And they weren't even on the fourth floor or anything! I was right there, just a few feet away from the kids and older ones who were too weak to call out…" Nick shook his head angrily. " I didn't check the rooms, because I _assumed_ they were out, that they had been checked and everyone was out…"

He looked up, seeing the middle-aged badger staring at him intently, paws resting under his chin. Zur nodded in encouragement.

" All it would have taken was a few more seconds of peeking in!" he said. " Throw a few over my shoulder, carry some more out…" he squeezed the ball roughly. " And… And they took the bodies out while I was still there…" Nick felt the lump in his throat again- he had to choke out the last few words. " The… The fire, it, it just-" He took a deep breath, swallowing hard and looking pleadingly at Zur. The badger waited a few seconds, watching him carefully before speaking up.

" What can you do with these feelings, Nick?" he said gently. " All this sadness, this anger- What's the unmet need?"

" I need to do some good," Nick said quickly, squeezing the ball harder and exhaling, focusing on the floor. " Do some good, make the world positive for the folk that are still in it."

" What do you call good, Nick?" Zur said.

" Helping folk make it another day," Nick said immediately. " Showing that life isn't just some comedy of errors or a big joke." He laughed, bitterly. " I need… I want people to have some hope. To have some sort of motivation to keep going. Isn't that cheesy?"

" What makes it cheesy?" Zur shifted around slightly, still gazing intently.

" Because I have this stupid image in my head- be the big hero, be an inspiration and make each day more bearable. But is any of that even realistic? I try, but I get treated like dirt at work, 95% of what I do I can't even talk about, and I still can't save anyone, I'm just-" Nick inhaled sharply, rubbing his forehead. " it's never enough."

" You saved around ten families by yourself," Zur pointed out. " Parents and children, alive because of you."

Nick nodded rapidly, smiling a little and massaging his throat reflexively. " That's right, doc, that's right…" He paused, glancing down briefly before focusing back on his counselor. " But I want… I need to make up for all the hurt, all the mistakes I've made… How could anyone see me as a hero otherwise?"

* * *

Nick shook his head, focusing back on the window of his hospital room. That had been… three weeks ago? They had talked a lot more in that session, and he had left feeling emptier, in a good way. The dreams were still there, though, and they-

He heard a cough from the room's doorway, and turned around to find Thom glancing around inquisitively.

" Nice to see you up and about, Nick!" He idly scratched his ear, glancing at the small pile of books on Nick's desk. "The whole Division was wondering if you were gonna make it or not."

" Nice to know you care." Nick said, a tinge of genuine surprise in his voice. Why was he visiting?

" Well, you know, it's real nice to see someone put in an effort to try and change." Thom said, smiling widely.

Nick's brow furrowed. " Me joining the force and helping out all these months didn't start that thinking?"

Thom shook his head. " It's different when a ganger like you goes out on his own to fix his mistakes." He frowned. " That kind of stuff takes a while to change, you know? Especially when you have a lot to make up for. Your whole thing with the Rainforest gang, the fire a few months ago..."

Nick balled his paws into fists, tucking them behind his back, taking a deep breath. " The gang," he said slowly, " We're almost done taking apart- because of me. And why's the fire my fault?"

" We lost a lot of civilians, around twenty or so," Thom said. " But the real problem was you making so many of our boys divert from their jobs. We could've shut down more of their supply lanes if you had stopped that fire from happening. You know how many cops have some sort of breathing problem now?"

Nick shook his head. " Seventeen folk, not twenty," he snapped, watching Thom scowl. "And I did my best to get everyone out as fast as I could. I didn't have time to go back and-"

Thom sighed. " Listen to me, Okay? Cops, not the civilians. We would've been done with this whole Rainforest thing if you hadn't let it happen in the first place."

Nick shook his head, and Thom glanced at the clock. " I get that you're trying to change who you are," Thom said carefully, edging back to the doorway, " rising above your past and all that- just make sure to do it so that your old buddies are taken out too, okay?"

He avoided Nick's glare, glancing down at the crumpled note in his paw. " Anyway, Chief just wanted to say get better soon, that you'll be getting paid while you're here, so don't worry." Thom paused. " He also said to be thankful you've got good insurance."

* * *

Judy tried to peer down at the murid-sized corkboard, barely able to make out some flyers discussing the opening of some new shops, a few clubs she had never heard of. There was one talking about the betterment of society, with a smiling rat pup- but she couldn't read the fine print. Averting her gaze, she focused back on the light-furred mouse stood next to her. She caught him halfway through a thought.

" Honestly," Luke said, smiling. " It's a real refreshing change to see women doing something productive. Here, at least, all they talk about is kids- sitting at home all day, trying to manage all sorts of-"

" Does that happen often in murid families?" Judy said, head inclined slightly. Luke nodded, and she nodded back thoughtfully. " Well," she said. " Isn't that-" she paused, biting her lip. _He isn't someone to argue with,_ she reminded herself. _This is a contact, someone you take from and give as little possible back._

" And it's reasons like that," she began, " Why the community can get fractured."

Luke nodded again. " Lots of men get tired of having to provide for all the pups, and some of the younger girls are crying about being more than breeders…" Luke frowned, crossing his arms. " Things turn ugly, everyone has their own opinion on what should happen..."

" So," Judy said, " excitement and opportunity are big wants... and that's something that Panya gives them." Judy sighed. " But why go to her? Aren't there other opportunities?"

" When there's so many of you in a family at once," Luke said morosely, " there tend to be more job seekers than actual jobs. You start sitting at home all day, getting bored… And then this little mouse comes in and offers you something _more,_ something exciting!" Luke shook his head. " Free schooling, good medical, no one hounding you to breed… Why would you pass that up?"

Judy shook her head sadly. " Even when the work they get means other folk getting hurt…" She remembered the crying and screaming a few nights ago- what could drive someone to do that willingly?

Luke shrugged. " That's why some police presence would be good," he said. " I don't really like the direction mice like my niece and nephew are heading."

He was desperate enough to have a rabbit help, she thought, even though he kept saying she wouldn't understand… Fear, then?

Judy crossed her arms, glancing at where the rat had been. " I think," she said, " that I need to see what others say… Any family I could talk to, where we could both sit?"

Luke nodded. " Give me a day, I'll get some family together for you to chat with," he let out a deep breath. " I still got things to show you, Officer. Hopefully, you'll know what to do about them."


	16. Chapter 16: How'd You Know That?

**Chapter 16: How'd You Know That?**

 **(A/N: Chapter Sixteen, actually continuing the plot! Whoo! How's this chapter stand up, everyone? I hope you all enjoy!** **)**

* * *

Apparently, no one had working eyes in this hospital- _someone_ had let the fox walk out of his room, _and_ gave him his room number too. He swore that there was supposed to be a guard posted out his room (perks of a city official), but the cop had bumbled away somewhere. In short, that meant the fox just walked in and started pressing him for information.

Thomas shifted from foot to foot, biting his lip and doing his best to avoid Wilde's gaze. Thomas kept looking past him, hoping for a nurse to walk by and shoo the fox away. He was getting awfully close, about two footsteps away, and had a look in his eyes that made Thomas more than a little uneasy.

 **"** So, um…" said Tom. " How… How are you doing? You look pretty good, considering what happened a few-"

" What did you do that got them after you?" said the fox, frowning.

Tom wrung his paws, swallowing. " I, uh… Do I really have a reason to tell you?" he said, mustering all of his confidence, rising to his full height. " It's not like you have anything against me, fox. What can you-"

The Secretary looked like an idiot, on his tip-toes and with his chin stuck out. Nick stepped closer, and the idiot stepped back again, stumbling back on his heels. " Let's see," Nick said happily, sticking out a digit. " We've got attempted bribery of a police officer, misappropriation of funds, child endangerment-" Nick spoke over Tom's crying out, " – accessory to organized crime, and probably lewd and lascivious behavior, if I heard my partner right."

Tom frowned, pointing at him defensively. " I never endangered anyone's kid, alright?" he said, " and you can't get me for that last one without making her look like some-"

" You can talk," Nick said, " Or you can go to jail for twice the amount of time if you don't. You might not get out at all, actually."

The rabbit visibly deflated, leaning against the wall and shaking his head. " Some rat came up to me one day, tells me to sign a new ordinance, right?" he glanced around the room conspiratorially. " Raise the train price by a dollar, at least, and give them a cut. Otherwise, I'd be worm-food, man."

Nick nodded, arms crossed, corner of his eye focused on the doorway. " Yeah, and who was the rat working for? Panya, right? The little mouse?"

" I only met him once," said Tom. "A scrawny little beaver, looked even smugger than you did. His name was Soap or Shiny, I think. Weird name."

Nick fought the urge to smile, sighing instead. " And did you do what he said?"

Tom shook his head. " I didn't want to do at first, and I told him more than once to leave me alone before I called the cops." Tom gave a small _eh-heh_. " He got very…persuasive, though. I mean, you would'nt believe what the girls-"

" You passed an ordinance giving a gang thousands more for a _girl_?" Nick said, raising an eyebrow. " Really? How'd you get this job?"

Tom shrugged. " **_Multiple_ **girls! And favors! Tabby has connections- her Dad is some big lawyer or judge or something- don't you know? He's working on that beaver's case right now."

Nick shook his head. " But what's Panya have to do with any of this?"

Thom looked confused, tilting his head in thought. " Panka? I don't know, man. The closest to a mouse I've been is that one that was following me home."

" That was a rat, Secretary." Nick's mind raced. If Panya didn't have anything to do with this… But why _wouldn't_ she want a cut of the train deal? Or at least getting rid of the competition?

Tom frowned, his eyes slowly lighting up. " _No._ Didn't you listen?" he said, slightly smug. " I said a mouse- small, pale mouse. That rat was a whole 'nother thing, okay?"

* * *

Luke said he needed a day, so that gave her a chance to check up on her third major lead. Secretary was still in the hospital, Tabitha and Laura were out and at home. They'd been helpful with answering questions for the other officers so far- wouldn't they do even more for her, the big role model?

She made her way out of her apartment, following the crowd down and watching the cars pass by. It was the usual- cars honking, no one using their signal to change lanes and a couple of guys trying to get girls to look at their tricked-out cars. A few trucks cut the corner, the wheels coming up onto the curb and earning yells and curses from those nearby. Standing at the crosswalk, she could see a couple of mice out of the corner of her eye, hugging the edge of the building and darting through legs. They'd disappear quickly, apparently through cracks in the wall or doorways that she couldn't pick out.

She heard and felt something bump hard into the doorframe after she knocked. She heard muffled voices behind the door, and it slowly opened to reveal Tabitha, eyes wary. " Hi!" Judy said. " I just wanted to check on you all, if that's alright."

Tabitha tapped her paws against the doorframe, glancing back before smiling sweetly at her. " We're a bit busy packing, Judy, sorry!" She opened the door to reveal a pile of boxes stacked up against the wall, taking up half of the front entrance. " We're just busy helping our cousin pack a bit, that's all. But it's not really a time for visitors."

" Pack?" Judy said, eyeing the boxes. " Your cousin needs help packing all this stuff? All… eight boxes?" Tabitha nodded, nudging a box with her foot. Judy could see Laura lifting boxes out of the living room, freezing briefly when she saw Judy and leaving the boxes in a row next to the pile by the door.

" You see," Tabitha said, " My cousin had things he left behind here, when he stayed over for a couple of months. He was having a hard time after losing his job, even lost his house," Tabitha sighed, shaking her head. " He had a lot of junk, and now he's got a new place. So we're shipping it over to him."

The boxes were postage ones- taped up, no way to look inside. The few she could see had labels like Shirts and Electronics scrawled in marker on the side. " You're gonna get this to him how, Tabby?"

Tabitha looked out at the street, watching the cars drive by. " He gets his buddies to come over, they pick it all up and shove it on the back of their trucks." She sniffed, wrinkling her nose. " Bunch of hooligans, but at least they aren't here long."

Judy turned her gaze to Tabitha, noting the blouse and leggings, the tired but aware look in her eyes. She couldn't see any gauze from here, even with the smell coming from her reminded Judy of Nick in the hospital.

" You seem pretty good for someone who had a home invasion," Judy said lightly, taking another step inside and standing face to face with her. " No scratches, at all? Lucky you." No tears over the husband, not a surprise, but to not even give one scared comment about getting attacked again…

Tabitha nodded, smiling a little, pressing her paws together. " Me and the kids both made it through pretty good- I'm _so_ grateful you showed up when you did." Her face fell slightly, turning guilty when Laura placed another box on the row. " Poor Laura… I didn't think she'd get hurt the way she did."

 _Laura?,_ Judy thought. She remembered that name, and if she was right…

Judy took another step inside, the living room to her back now, Tabitha to her right. Her hip banged against a box, and Judy heard a glass clink inside. " Think I should talk to her?" Tabitha pursed her lips, and Laura hesitantly stepped out from the living room, standing next to Judy.

" Hi Laura," The doe muttered a hello back, eyes glum and face drawn in a small frown. Her clothes hung loosely off of her- her blouse looked like it had been for someone weighing an extra twenty pounds. Judy could see bandages on her shoulder, looking fresh.

Judy gave her a small smile, motioning back outside. " Is it okay if we talk outside?"

Laura's eyes flitted briefly to Tabitha, who nodded slowly.

* * *

Laura idled in front of one of the planters, taking in the flowers, watching the ants and things crawl along. Judy leaned against the wall of the house, looking back and making sure the front door was shut. It smelled nice, at least. Like spring.

" I know they didn't get hurt," Judy began. " But you got the worst of it, Laura. I'm here if you want to talk."

Laura toed at the ground, studying the brickwork intently. " I have to get back inside, soon, okay? Let's not take too long with this, ma'am, please. I've no recompense to be had here."

 _Recompense?,_ Judy thought.

She waited, trying to catch Laura's gaze, watching her mutter to herself and wring her paws. " You know, I ran into someone that knew a Laura," Judy said, " That one knew someone named Teagen." Laura flinched, and Judy came off the wall, taking a step towards her. " Maybe it's a coincidence, but… Do you know anyone by that name?"

" No… Officer," Laura said, an edge in her voice. " I… Teagen isn't someone I know."

" Liam Abernathy had something to do with him," Judy studied her face carefully. " He told me that Teagen was busy working on a boat, something happened to him."

"Liam's in jail, isn't he?" Laura picked her head up. " _You_ got him, made the community safer…" She looked pleased, a smile spreading on her face. Her eyes looked conflicted.

"Officer… Sometimes it's best not to ask questions," her voice took on a pleading, warning tone. "Please."

" Laura," Judy said, " You used to live in Liam's block, didn't you?" Laura nodded slowly, eyes darting back to the front door. "Who was Teagen to you?"

" My…" Laura bit her lip. " I need to pack, please. If we aren't ready with this last load…"

If she kept pushing, Judy felt, there might be a meltdown. But…" Your cousin sounds like a taskmaster," Judy said lightly. " You know, if anyone's pushing you too hard, treating you wrong… You can call the police, okay? Even just to give anonymous tips. You won't get in trouble."

Laura nodded hurriedly, foot already on the steps to the front door.

" You can help put the nail in the coffin, you know," Judy said quietly, but she could see her listening. " What time do they come?"

" I've told you five times already!" Laura swirled around, eyes afire and voice raised. " I can't talk to you, just let me pack, please!" She went back inside, solidly shutting the door.

Judy left pleased. If someone from a feeder gang was helping a 'cousin' with his stuff… She might have found a supply line! Nick would be proud. She hoped he would be, at least. Almost done, she told herself. Just one sharp blow and we can all relax.


	17. Chapter 17: High Points and Low Points

**Chapter 17: The High Point for Some, The Low for Others**

 **(A/N: Good or bad, people like to believe they're doing the right thing. This can cause problems, to put it mildly. Sometimes it hurts other people, intentionally or not. What happens after can have lasting effects.**

 **Any questions, readers, about names or literary choices, etc., let me know! I hope I did you guys a service today!)**

* * *

It isn't that hard to follow someone if they don't expect you to be there. It helps that I was in a large crowd on a busy sidewalk. As long as you mind the cracks in the sidewalk and ignore the stench of rotting trash and filth, things are dandy.

Despite our different paths, I think I can relate to this headstrong rabbit and melancholic fox. Don't we all work towards the betterment of others? To enjoy life to the fullest extent possible- isn't that something wonderful to aspire to? And isn't it a shame when that dream is crushed?

For instance- a mouse, a rat, they both have limits on what they are allowed to ply their trade at. Mental and physical health, construction, professorship positions- all gone, given to someone more appropriate. Safety concerns, the City says. We don't want you getting accidentally stepped on, don't want you having trouble communicating. Too many headaches, too many potential lawsuits. And yet the Secretaries are free to embezzle- not enough of a headache, apparently. Maybe if it was the buildings would be in better repair- no more apartment fires or chipped facades, graffiti all around the sides.

The young and naive ones still dream, still stare longingly at the city university, the city hall, the hospital. 'I want to teach everyone, not just murids,' they say, ' I want to run for public office.' Those dreams die eventually, and the children turn to the next best thing, remaining in menial positions for the larger folk- secretaries, assistants, couriers. For many, a waste of brain cells and talent.

I watched this happen for years, no one doing a thing to make a difference- a pitying glance, promises to petition and bring it up during meetings, it ends up nowhere-the status quo remains.

That is why I exist. I give them hope, a purpose, something to work towards. My offer allows them to fight for murid equality. Why work as a low-paid Assistant for the Secretary of Transportation when you could make double that for half the work?

Speaking of work-

" So consider those two," I motioned towards the fox and rabbit arguing ahead of us- no real difference from the rest of the week. " How would we get rid of any problems the fastest?"

The mouse beside me stared intensely, face scrunched in thought and eyes darting back and forth from mark to mark.

" - chance to get that recommendation to Detective," that was the rabbit speaking, pleading and wearing the same panicked gaze that I had become intimately familiar with. I've yet to understand what she sees in the con-fox, yet it's something that makes her absolutely enamored with him. Among the trash in her apartment, there are no less than five apology letters and one rambling confession letter. It's all awfully unnatural, and that's _without_ the species differences factoring in.

" - rest, OK? Can I at least enjoy being out of the hospital for a little bit?"

The bitter fox, eyes tired and voice heavy. It's a wonder Mason ever saw him as his star pupil. A good actor, yes, but too much of a conscience, not smart enough to know to disconnect.

There's an odd thing about them. Her heart beats so fast around him, and his is out of step, irregular. He hides it, I think, and the rabbit is too tunnel-visioned to use her ears and notice.

Poor fools.

Marcus finally spoke up, grasping my shoulder and yammering excitedly. " No need to do anything physical, I think. If we just keep pressing on the fox, make him lose the motivation-"

" Mhm," his chest puffed out slightly, and his pace quickened. We weaved between the legs of the crowd, edging back to the shop entrances and going over table legs instead- preferable to getting stomped on accidentally. Enough following them, there were other things to attend to.

* * *

Medication for murids is interesting. You can buy from murid pharmacies, yes, but the ones for the larger mammals cost exactly the same. So we buy those and break off smaller pieces. It lasts a very long time- both as a dosage and the pill itself.

Marcus knew how to do it now- he had paid attention the first time. I felt a warmth in my chest seeing another enjoy the rush, the deadening of nerves and a slowing of the heart. It brings a sense of peace.

I took my own dosage- or rather, my three doses. One will do nothing for me anymore, and two is hardly a murmur. Marcus, being unbloodied, finds his calm on only one dose.

So we set off to work, through the darkened streets, past the crowds of folk milling about, complaining about the jobs that paid double of any of ours. We went through the small cracks in the walls, the hidden entrances and the too-narrow alleys. There is something empowering about it- doing something these others can't do. And in my work- well, how would you feel if a mark couldn't predict how you'd enter? Will it be the mail slot? Through some small hole in the fence or a broken window? On your own clothes, maybe? Such thrill, such power!

" Panya!" Marcus finished squeezing through the crack, shaking off the detritus. A small clump of old dirt stuck to his forehead. " Is this to be the real thing?" He stood, stretched, checked the vials on his side. All secure.

" Thomas Geárr, still in hospital and ripe for striking." I grabbed at my rapier, feeling like a swashbuckler of yore. " And, young Marcus, where exactly do we strike?"

Marcus watched me jab my blade forward, a smile on his face. "The neck, where the pulse is strongest. Let the coating do the work."

That was my favorite part of this line of work- finishing a mark. Watching, feeling the body struggle, the intensity of the light in their eyes... There is such a passion in our last moments! Imagine if we could apply that to daily living!

"Marcus, remember- you do well tonight and there will be enough for your whole family." He straightened up a little more at that, his eyes widening. Ten littermates was a lot, yes, but it would be worth it.

Tonight, Mason loses this little war of ours. One rabbit's death will bring a new beginning.

* * *

Judy mentally kicked herself. She just _had_ to forget he was getting discharged today, and of course she looked like an idiot running into him at the front of the hospital. And what was the first thing out of her mouth? Help me finish this case, partner, I promise it'll be quick. That was real smart, Judy, it's not like he just got stabbed and poisoned.

Nick took a deep breath, glad to feel the fresh air again. Now if could just get home…

" Nick, please," a deep breath, a quickened pace. " Don't ignore me, that hurts more than anything." A pause. " I didn't mean to say it like that! I just want you to get the credit with me, to get you out of the-"

" I just got out of the hospital," he said, shaking his head, " and you already are asking to go and follow some gangers out to their supply spot, where they'll have a bunch of guards. Really?"

" But this'll be it!" she ran in front of him, drawing more glances from the crowd around them. " Once we follow the trucks and see where they're going, we'll be done and just have to report it to Gangs. They can take care of it and then-"

" And then you'll get all the credit again," he said sourly. "Good for you, really. With the way things have been going for me-"

" They'll change," she said firmly, " Thom is wrong, okay? He's just one guy out of the whole District, he doesn't speak for everyone."

Nick sighed, eyes on the pavement. He slung the bag of her books back over his shoulder. What was left of the crowd was thinning out even further now, and what was left was giving them a wide berth. " I just want to have a quiet vacation, Judy," he said, " It started boring, dull, and that was one thing, but now it's been me getting judged by some rich idiots and beat up. And what happens to you in the meantime?" He glared up at her, and she took a step back. " You having fun getting all the praise and getting to sleep at home, no gangs to deal with and no guilt about what's happened-"

Judy felt the stinging in her eyes, the lump in her throat, again. The guilt she had been fighting with surging forth. " I _am_ guilty, okay?! I hurt you, and all those other folk who had no idea what was… What was going on…" She took a hesitant step forward, trying to blink past the forming tears. " And I can't take it back, I can't take back you…" she gulped, " I can't take back me dragging you into this, pleading with you to stay, not… Not thinking about how you felt." She dug her paws into her palms. " You getting hurt was… I don't want that to happen again, Nick. It hurt me so much to see you like that! "

" So you drag me out with you again, right into a big pile of gangsters. That makes a lot of sense." she flinched a little, lowering her gaze and sobbing.

" I… I just… We're so close, Nick!" she wiped her face roughly, staring back up. " I know everything I'm saying sounds like I'm not thinking about you, but-" she broke down again, and she felt Nick leading her by the arm. Nick sat them down at a bus bench, and she cried into her paws. " All I had to do was say no to him!" she took in a ragged breath. " I didn't even have to take this case, all I had to do was say no…"

Nick watched her sob, her shoulders heaving and her breath coming out in sharp gasps. His heart ached, and his eyes burned. It was a horrible thing to see, not least because a part of him understood. She just wanted to do something for him, in her own way, but it had gone off course. Of course she didn't want him hurt, or belittled, or in this horrible Division. He knew that. But there was still that pent-up anger about being dragged around, lied to, asked to do things he had no business doing. _Ironic,_ he thought bitterly. _I did that to her and it turned out fine. So why…?_

They had so much to get off their chests. It would be up to them to be ready and willing to do so, though.

* * *

 **Chapter 17.5: The Fifth Draft of the Apology Letter, To be Placed in his Hospital Books**

Hi Nick!

I hope the hospital is okay, that you get good food, that the TV shows are okay. I just wanted to clear the air and let you know some things.

First of all, I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess- I thought it'd be an easy case and a fast way to impress Detectives Division. I didn't want to ruin your vacation, and because I did, I want to do whatever it takes to make up for it. I made a mistake, and it went way too far, and I'm so sorry.

You're my best friend, and I admire you. I just want to be as street-smart as you, that same aura of calm and cool. You're a big hero, you know, at least to me! One day all your naysayers will see that!

Keep your chin up! I'm here cheering for you, always.

Love,

Judy


	18. Chapter 18: A Mouse Works, Rabbit Reacts

**Chapter 18: A Mouse Works, a Rabbit Reacts**

 **(A/N: Investigating can be hard- you're dependent on leads and people coming forward with the right information. That's why cases can last years.**

 **But things are coming to an end soon. Everything is falling into place for some people. Have you noticed?)**

* * *

There are so many assumptions about me, so many of them hurtful and untrue. It hurts more when it comes from those you work so hard to protect.

" Murderer!" she screamed, grabbing at her children and bringing them closer to her. Her eyes burned, her voice sharp and pained. " You… I can't believe you have the _nerve_ to show-"

" Madam," I began, voice slow and calming, " We're just passing through, and on the way to do something good. Alright?" I raised my paws up, face in a pained expression. " I'm no murderer, I promise you that."

The she-mouse shook her head roughly, eyes wide. " You poison folk," she hissed, " you work to make you and your nutso fanatics more money."

Marcus stepped forward, pointing at her accusingly. " At least we do something! What's sitting around and accepting the shi-"

I coughed. " We're just passing through, alright? Go back home, and you'll see soon that we work for the good of you _and_ your family." I glanced down at the children, pausing to stare each of them in the eyes before looking at back at their wary mother. " I just want them to have a good future…"

She shook her head again, forcefully, but she did turn back and towards her home. Marcus muttered something I would have to talk to him about later, and we made out way up the sidewalk again, past the rest of the mouse commune. Wary eyes, peeking out from homes, from ramshackle shops. I could see a handful of youngsters watching us with awe and curiosity, however- standing by the edge of the commune and stepping forward when we went by. I overheard pleas for attention, questions and hushed arguments. Same as always. But, there was work to be done. A few more blocks...

* * *

Marcus took in a deep breath, paws planted on his knees. The stairs had been a pain to get up, and going through four flights hadn't been the most pleasant experience. But we had made it, finally, to the right floor of the hospital. If the source had been right, Geárr would be close. We snuck past the nurses, the odd doctor or two walking around, pretending to check on his staff or his patients, until we found the room. The stench of rabbit was clear from outside, and despite that rabbit's horrible cologne not being present, this _was_ the room we were told of. We waited until a nurse came to check on him, then made our move. It would have to be quick.

The good news was that the rabbit was there. The bad news was that he wasn't alone.

A black mass threw itself into Marcus, who had the sense not to yell. They flew into the opposite wall, becoming a writhing mass of limbs and fangs. The boy wouldn't be able to get a grip on his weapon, so that meant-

I sunk my claws into the back of the creature's shoulders, hearing the thing yelp in surprise, trying to twist around and get a clear swipe at me. A rat, I could smell, and not one that was very competent, missing me like he did. I felt his shoulder buckle, and he gave _another_ shout- did he not have anything to keep him calm?

Marcus had felt the weight shift, apparently, and had dug his claws into the rat's gut. Marcus tensed his legs up, pushed when I pulled, and the rat ended up pinned against the floor, squirming and kicking out, trying to score free hits on my legs. That was awfully rude of him.

While the rat was squirming, I could feel a mismatched shifting beneath his fur, the gasps of pain as his arm moved. This one has broken bones- odd, I hadn't even landed that much of a-

Ah, but this was **that** rat!

" Mason really does know how to pick them," I said cheerfully, the rat stopping and holding his breath. " Taking in the broken-up and useless. How smart!" I kicked him in the side, and he made to clutch at it. Marcus hissed, standing by the rat's head; he had a good gash running across his chest, the blood caking onto his clothes, but the medication worked- he was standing fine, no whimpering. I glanced up at the bed of the rabbit. Fast asleep. Good.

I glanced back down at the rat with the broken ribs and nose. This one first.

* * *

" It was horrible!" Luke said sadly, shaking his head, " Can you believe that someone would do that? The poor man was basically eviscerated!"

Judy nodded sadly. The hospital staff had found Geárr in his hospital room last night, along with what remained of a rat. It hadn't been pretty. The news had been quick to report it- All of the murids were talking about it, now.

" I'm telling you, Officer, it was a drug-related murder!" said Luke. " Panya, she's so reliant on drugs to keep herself going… I bet you anything that she had broken into the hospital to steal more for her stash, and ran into some rival ganger that was trying to be opportunistic. And then she sees some poor man just resting in bed and can't resist…."

Judy glanced down at the pale mouse. From what she could tell from this height, he looked pretty peeved- ears low, what looked like a stomping of feet. Let him talk a bit more, she decided, get all she could out of this.

" She acts all noble, all heroic," he said, pacing along the wood floor of the apartment hallway. " And this is what she has to show for all that talk! And _still,_ Officer, still, my nephew wants to go and gallivant around, prevent- "

Judy stifled a sigh, shifting on her feet and waving at her neighbors as they came by. Luke ranted more, threw his arms into the air a couple of times, but he eventually ran out of steam, staring up at her expectantly. Thankfully, she had started paying attention again right before that.

"- you think?" he finished. He took a deep breath, wiping his forehead.

" Yeah," she said quickly. " Definitely a big issue, with that mouse going around and tearing into folk like that." She nodded confidently, " But, once I get enough evidence, some way to get her into cuffs and into custody, then it'll be over." Judy pursed her lips, tapping her foot slowly. " There might be a way to draw her out, come to think about it…"

* * *

Marcus clutched at the card as if it were his last hope- the way his eyes had lit up when I handed it over!- a bit overdramatic, really, for a prepaid food card. He had done good work, had hit his mark and kept his calm even when the rabbit had almost cried out. That's why it held enough for a month of groceries, all ten siblings included.

It sounded so silly when it was said like that- killing for food. But that wasn't the only payment, and Tabitha Geárr now owed us a very big favor.

" The rabbit is still around," Marcus smiled, shaking his head. " walking around, saying that she's here to scoop you up and save everyone." His paw rubbed absentmindedly against the bandage on his chest, his breaths still a bit shallow.

" Has she just given up on the muskrat then?" I said, head tilted and face inquisitive. Marcus shrugged. " You think we should point her to the right direction? Stop her from being as clueless?"

" What, the supply dump?" Marcus shifted around on the couch, sitting up straighter. " Are we to help her from the shadows then?" He chuckled. " Are we going to be paving the way for her, get her past the guards and hand her all that as evidence?"

I gave him a small smile, pacing slowly. " But what would that give _us?_ " Would he get it, would it click?

" We… We would shut down the muskrat!" He stood up, eyes wide. " No more of his supplies means that he would have nothing to build off of, even if he did get out of prison!"

" Can you spell it out any more?" I chided, as he ducked his head, " Yes, Marcus, no more muskrat if we point her in the right direction." Still young, still unused to planning. Give him some more time, he'll learn.

The buck rabbit was gone- no more income for the muskrat that way. The doe would be the final nail, then.

* * *

" Aw, come _on,_ John!" The rabbit just _had_ to take too large of a step. I peeked through the opening in the box- thankfully, nothing had shattered. We hefted the box back up, John smirking at the amount of grunting and straining on my part. That look, along with the thick stench of gas and fish, wasn't helping me stay calm.

" Get that smirk off your face, idiot!" I snapped, and he rolled his eyes. " I shouldn't evens till be here, but you just had to take your sweet time…" I stepped down the ramp of the moving truck, glancing behind me and edging backward. Just a handful more boxes.

" You ain't scary, fox," he muttered. " Just some weak little girl that can barely lift a tiny little box…" I resisted the urge to shove the box into his chest- if anything broke, I'd be worm-food. We backed into the warehouse, piling the latest box onto the stack.

" You just _had_ to lose the dolly," I fumed, glaring at him. " Why couldn't I get someone confident…" We marched back up the loading ramp, grabbing the next few boxes on the raised portion of the truck. Great pay, he promised, short hours. I know it's not talking, Caroline, but wouldn't it nice to take a break and try something different? Ugh. Can't be so greedy next time…

It was so much nicer talking to Nick, getting to see him up close. Once we were done with this, I had to get another chance to see him. It's preferable to hanging around some failed ganger's second.


	19. Chapter 19: One Side of Life

**Chapter 19: One Side of Life**

 **(A/N: Bluffing is a useful skill to have, and both sides of the law are familiar with it. It can cause some interesting kinks in cases, make people have to dig deeper.**

 **Also, there is a shift in perspective in this chapter. That's intentional- anyone have a clue as to why?)**

* * *

Folk who come to visit me often comment that I often tend to drink more than I should. But what's wrong with having a few glasses of wine, a few bottles of gin? What else would someone do in a stressful situation? I don't hurt anyone, I don't steal- why complain?

" Lana, come on!" I brought the glass back to my lips, taking another sip. " It's over, we're all done! No more work for a while, and we've got plenty to celebrate…" That skinny doe was moping _again,_ wringing her paws like some caught child, glancing at the clock like she was waiting for a date. Hmph! At least she had put the kitchen back in good order- the last stunt had made such a mess…

Life was fantastic, full of color again. Why was she moping? The muskrat has gotten his precious goods secured, and Thomas was good and gone, finally! Just me and my children, secure and stable. No need for them to have a horrible excuse for a father, carrying on like he did…

I swirled my glass around, watching the dregs at the bottom of the glass shift.

* * *

" Are you stupid, Tabby?!" Thomas banged his paw on the kitchen island, glaring at me. " You really want to invite Hopps of all folk, just to, what, stroke your ego a bit, flaunt to the Hortenses?" He glanced at the letter I was holding, shaking his head.

" Trust me, Tommy," I said softly, " I've got just the thing to keep her looking in the right direction- but she has to come here first, so that-"

" So that you can look like a saint while I do all the actual work," he spat. " You really think that muskrat will help you out? He just wants me to bring a new ordinance forward, he could care less about what you-"

My… friend, in the guard told a friend in this jail that Geárr was paying for a favor. She wanted a rat to fake an accident for her, to throw off the trail and keep the supply lane open. Interesting.

It wasn't difficult to get a message out, and Victor did listen. I admit, I wasn't surprised when he showed up in the same jail afterwards, all bandaged up. Of course he'd been roughed up, he did what I had paid him for.

* * *

" Food's almost done," Laura peered into the pot, stirring briskly before putting the lid back on. " Give it another minute." She turned to me, watching me glace repeatedly at the doorway and amble around the kitchen. " Expecting a package? We already got today's ship-"

" No, just daydreaming," I let both my elbows rest on the island, shifting on my feet. I wasn't nervous at all, I just wanted this to be over and done with. " I'm a bit surprised Tom came home early today. Isn't that something?"

The girl shrugged. " He said he felt sick… You think Panya…?"

Tom came back downstairs, and we fell silent, took to staring at the idiot I called my husband clutching at his stomach and rubbing his throat. I was young when we married, didn't know better. If I had known that he preferred to stay out, keep other company… At least there'd be a way to tie up all the loose ends.

Judy Hopps and her mangy fox knocked not long after Tom came down. Seeing them standing on the front door landing did make me nervous, this time- things wouldn't work if they stayed there!- Thomas did move, though, and they had been sitting outside when it started.

Laura focused on her food, but I could hear the soft scrabbling of claws on wood, from the stairs. A dark, messy head poked over the edge of the stairs, beady-eyed. I stood straight, stretched, and backed up towards the downstairs washroom.

Laura cried out a few seconds later, but by then I had already moved. This had to be realistic- why tell her what was going to happen? Hopefully it'd be bad enough to draw Judy's sympathy.

* * *

Prison isn't a horrible place, I found. Folk will leave you alone, sometimes they even step out of your way, and it's fairly safe in my cell. If only I could get word outside better, I might consider this alright.

I found him in the common area, still under the effects of whatever medication they were stuffing him with and radiating a very palpable aura of fear. Good.

" Victor," I muttered into his ear, watching him stumble back. The rat turned to face me, swallowing hard. " You have a job to do, you know."

He glared at me, tried to make me feel surprised or afraid, I suppose, and spoke as firmly as a drugged rat could. " Listen, _Mason,_ " the rat sneered. " I don't need to do anything more for you, not while I'm in here. No way it'd be worth it."

I gave him my best smile, watching him take note of my teeth. " I can still feed your family from here," I paused, watching the slow progress of curiosity, " all it takes is a letter out, someone giving them the money I had put aside for you finishing your job."

The curiosity died down suddenly, his frown returning. Victor shook his head slowly, glancing down at his bandages. " No you won't- all your accounts have been frozen, I know that much. I already had bones broke for you, I _lied_ for you, too, and-"

I stepped into the little rat's space, watching him back up. " I could just hurt them," I said quietly. " Even if you tell the guards- they can't stop word getting out." Victor's shoulders sagged, his eyes growing wider. " It won't be anything too bad this time, I promise." He laughed bitterly, rolling his eyes. " All you have to do is watch over Geárr until he gets out. Just watch." Something in that request didn't click with the little mammal- he looked incredulous.

" You're asking me to fight Panya," he said disbelievingly. " Do you think he earned that job by sitting there and doing nothing?" He glanced around himself warily, eyeing every mouse with suspicion.

" Are you scared of a _mouse,_ Victor?" I said, possibly with a small tinge of mockery. " After you've taken down much bigger things? Really?"

Victor glared, pointing a claw at me. " It's one thing to lie and say I belong to his group, it's another thing to face him after he finds that out!"

He listened eventually, thankfully. Geárr being cut down means Panya loses that inflow of money as well, and Victor would have been a very useful lead for the police if he ever decided to stop lying. It's amazing what you can do with just a few words, really.

I still have my goods, my dead drops and connections. I can afford to wait.

* * *

It's awfully nice in these larger hospitals, clean and orderly. The staff ain't exactly the most sharp-eyed folks. You would think they'd hire someone with better eye-

Focus. Protect the rabbit. Beat the mouse up. Then you're done. Three doses got you with broke bones, one dose should keep you on a happy medium. It'll all work out.

...

Ha! Like I have a - No, no. Focus. Remember why you're doing this. They'll be safe if I stay focused. Julie, Jason, Jackson. Mark, Matthew, Marcus. My sister isn't very good with names, come to think of it. Why not something like Ashley, or-

Why am I even thinking of them? I transferred all the money I could, and I did what he told me. There's no reason to worry...There's no reason to worry.

I could've just run away with them, just gotten up and left... No, don't want them with a fugitive, don't need the muskrat hunting me...

There. Is that him? Just have to jump, and-

I was right. I'm so sor-

 **Chapter 19.5: Resolutions**

It's been Nick and Judy for a good amount of time now. We've worked together a whole lot, and at first, it was an equal thing. I think. Then we had that whole thing with Gangs, Nick pushing me towards Detective training… We _still_ haven't talked about that! Because of me trying to help him out, give him credit…

Sounds good on paper, sure, but I just had to keep going even after the warning signs. What kind of friend am I if it took him getting hurt? Am I too reliant, too clingy? But he's my friend, what's wrong with wanting him around, wanting his help? Shouldn't you call in an expert for tough problems?

I sighed, looking around my mess of an apartment. Eight different drafts now, all going nowhere and saying the same thing- I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I get tense just trying to text him, now, and a phone call- ha! No way. Why would he answer that?

I can sit and stew here for another day, or I can do something! I can… I can… Well, didn't he save a family from some psycho rat? Got us the lead onto a whole other gang, maybe even on the supply lane? That's above the call of duty, isn't it?

I'm going to finish this case, on my own. Nick needs his rest, he deserves that. It's not Nick and Judy's problem, it's _my_ mess, and I need to do this right. Just have to talk to the Commander, get the rest of Gangs ready…

* * *

It's nice being able to sleep in. Days of walking around, worrying about and running after some stubborn and gut-reacting rabbit takes a toll on you- enough to get me sleeping from six 'till noon the next day- even after listening to the cacophony of dings from the five-hundred texts _someone_ keeps sending me. I had half a mind to keep on sleeping, but I had something to do. Zur said I reached a milestone in my therapy not too long ago, with the 'hero' thing, and I could confront someone from my past if I felt ready.

There was a certain muskrat in prison that was perfect for that. I had questions for Mason the Muskrat, anyway.

* * *

" Oh, but you look _awful,_ Nicholas," Shani smiled, voice heavy with a familiar feigned care, " I heard you had a run-in with Panya, got roughed up badly. You poor-"

" You want to explain what your rat was doing in the hospital?" I said, leaning on the table. He hadn't changed at all being in prison- no weight changes, no bruising, no nervous look in his eyes. Still smug and annoying then. Wonderful.

Sha- no, Mason, smiled and shrugged. " He had a thing for old, dumb rabbits. Panya took offense to that, you-"

" Panya killed your rat," I said, watching him frown- probably wanted me to play his game, " Because you were trying to keep your little deal with Geárr open. Would've been a good witness, and a good way to get that income from the train, right?"

" Why would I waste my time with trains, Nicholas?" Mason smiled, shaking his head like he was talking to a small child. " You know better than anyone that I deal in shakedowns and smuggling."

" I don't see why anyone would pass up thousands of dollars, at least," I said, and I could swear that the muskrat looked pleased. " Plenty of mammals take it every day, all those tourists…"

" No proof," he said. " Don't you know that you need evidence, Nicholas? Can't just assume things and bully information out of-"

I had the oddest feeling that we were going to talk in circles for the rest of my time.

I rested my head onto a paw, yawning. " I could just ask that little vixen you got working for you again." I smiled, " She's awfully bad about keeping information a secret." I paused. " She told me a whole lot about the deal you have with the lady drunk…"

He didn't say anything, I'll give him credit for that. But his body language was another story- eyes narrowed, breath stopping for a small moment. So the vixen in the club _was_ his, then. Just keep pressing in the right places, watch his reactions.


	20. Chapter 20: The Ends Justify the Means

**Chapter 20: Ends Justify the Means**

 **(A/N: Justifying why you did things says a lot about who you are. Judy wanted to pay it forward, Nick didn't think it'd amount to anything at first, but Thom is in this story too.)**

* * *

The muskrat smiled, watching the guard amble in. " Thank you for helping me get past an hour of the day, Nicholas. You'll be back soon, won't you?" He kept staring, even while he was being led away. The hour had gone by faster than I thought- no time to get the other plan into action.

Shan- no, Mason hadn't said anything revolutionary, sure, but it was enough- the rat was his, and we would have to keep a better eye on the next Director of Cars. The muskrat was in jail, out of the picture and wouldn't have anything left once Thom and the other idiots found all the supply lanes. Dragging myself out of the interrogation room and back towards home, I wasn't quite in the mood to find the rabbit and bug her. Let Judy sit and think for a bit, I can't keep going over and making everything okay. She's a smart girl, right?

My apartment/hole-in-the-wall wasn't the best thing in the world, but it worked for what it was. A bed, a fridge that worked, a TV that had all the good channels and sometimes even in hi-def… That's what I've been slaving away in Gangs for all these months. I didn't hate the bugs scurrying around, the smell of mildew hanging everywhere, or the notices in the mail. Nope, that was all fine. Once I got home, I found the outlet I needed: The fennec fox who thankfully had not complained once about me ignoring him for a week.

Maybe he hadn't noticed- not like I talk a lot.

"You would think that I'd get a break!" I paced around, paws tucked at my side. " What does it take for her to see that I can't take it no more? Honestly!" Finnick was still paying attention to me, I think- he was looking in my direction, eyes only slightly glazed over. Everything normal then. " You do a good turn for someone and then they take more, and more, and more!" I finished my circuit around the living room, rubbing my forehead and shaking my head. " One guy only has so much patience, right? Does she expect me to go and save her behind every time something bad happens?"

Finn raised the volume on the TV, blinking slowly.

" Hey! Did you hear what I said?" He nodded slowly, a small smile on his face. This was also normal. " Say something then, I ain't yammering to hear myself talk." Finn snorted, shaking his head.

" Um, she, uh… She's looking for a hero," he said, eyes still on the TV. "And, um, you're the guy for the job… You've got the stuff, man."

We went through the usual song and dance, me venting and Finn listening like he always did. It was a good understanding. I had trouble forgetting her crying, breaking down and beating herself up. Wouldn't a good friend go back to help, tell them everything was gonna be okay? Am I the bad guy right now, ignoring her like that?

I thought it'd be nice to get some time away, to breathe and get thoughts beyond her safety, what we were doing today. Nothing changed, and I've laid here staring at the ceiling ignoring the feelings in my gut for a while now. Finn shakes his head every time he gets a look at me now. Aren't I supposed to feel good for putting my foot down?

I left her crying in her apartment. Am I cruel for doing that? Wouldn't it be worse to lie and say everything will be fine right away? I don't want to lie like that to her, though.

Maybe I am cruel. But I can't just throw a bandaid on things. Gotta be strong, have to focus on what's important right now. She's snooping around the mouse still, probably hoping Panya will pop out of wherever she's hiding and just hand her evidence on a silver platter. Not like that will go anywhere.

I had... some trouble in falling asleep.

* * *

The station was busy as always, everyone running off to do their own tasks, a few with radios on louder than really necessary and adding more to the noise. The civilians that had come in complaining about tickets or as witnesses wasn't helping much either. But, my place was farther in the back.

I found him outside of one of the conference rooms of the station, already in his gear, fiddling with the straps of the vest. The room was still packed- I could hear a good handful of voices going back and forth inside.

Thom smiled at me, and I returned it out of more than courtesy this time. " Hey, Thom," I said cheerfully. " Ready to show me how you all work?"

He nodded, eyes examining my clothes- I had washed these, hadn't I? " Yup. I got, um, 'bout four or five boys, ma'am, and we're all eager to get this thing done." He clasped his paws together. " Means one less gang and one more party for us to throw." He sniffed, his eyes widening a little. " You've gone from smelling like a fox to a mouse, you know. Not that I'm implying anything-! Just, um, some of the boys said-"

" Panya's chipping in," I offered. " She wants her competition gone, and we've got the muscle she needs." The smile on his face turned into a frown, then the beginnings of a scowl. " Look, all it means is we get a head start on taking the mice gang out too." I paused. " A _mice_ gang. We need better presence in those communities, Thom."

He grimaced. "I doubt she'll show up… But maybe we can catch them being sloppy…" He thought a moment, snorting. " But to help out those tiny things? By doing. what, stomping our feet a bit and scaring them all into givin' up? All due respect, those mice and rat folk, they know how to best take care of themselves." He motioned up and down himself. " Not like I can squeeze into their burrow or den, whatever, to stop a mugging."

" There has to be something we can do!" I said, arms crossing. " What kind of cops would we be if we ignored folk who need help?"

The wolf shrugged. " I just bust up gangs, you... walk around and talk to yappy kids. Let the outreach guys do something." He glanced back at the conference room door. " Plan's almost done, we're just waiting for these last shipments to come in."

I felt the breath catch in my throat. " You… You didn't know about the supply lane in the Geárr house already, did you?"

Thom nodded. " Oh, we've been known. You managed to get her sloppy and rushing though," he grinned, paws coming up and together, " means we'll snag a whole bunch of stuff in the docks today."

" You couldn't do anything sooner?" I snapped, " you know, _before_ my partner got stabbed and we got Panya involved?" His eyes stayed calm and body leaning against the wall, arms crossed. The voices in the room had lessened to murmurs.

" And what?" he said slowly, " Rush into her house and get, maybe, twenty percent of what we could have got? It's all in one place now-" his frown returned at seeing me huff. " –Ripe for the snatching, okay? And we can't go back and change anything." He paused. " Alright, Judy? It'll be worth it, just watch."

" We had stabbings," I said, an edge creeping into my tone, " Not just Nick, but a bunch of innocents too, someone from City Hall…"

Thom sighed, giving me a pitying glance. " Sometimes you need bad things to happen to do good stuff at the end. Alright?" He paused, " I don't like anyone getting hurt, 'specially not some civilians, but us hanging back a bit means that this'll be it. "

" So the ends justify the means?" The meeting broke up, and I could see the rest of Gangs pile out of the room, with varying levels of gear on- it looked new, everything fitting snug.

" Yup. Ain't you used to that idea?" said Thom, ambling off after his buddies. " We'll be back! You'll see us on the news!"

I had thought that Gangs was just a bit rough, a bit… jaded? Jaded. That they've been fighting thugs for so long that things were black and white to them. Thom can justify folk getting hurt- is that the same for the rest of them?

My part in this is all done, I can just relax now, let them work. Would they have made Nick go if I hadn't gotten him hurt? Questions won't solve anything though, and I look silly standing here, staring at nothing… Vicks, got to go and talk to Vicks, then Nick, and then Luke.

I refocused, finding myself staring at the floor. Shaking my head, I made my way to the other side of the station, to the offices.

* * *

Vicks' office wasn't the biggest thing ever, but he made the most of the space. He cluttered his desk in stress balls and sticky notes, the separating board between cubicles covered in pictures of family, some of them with him in uniform. The same firm stare was visible in most of those pictures, but I'd gotten him to change that expression in the past few minutes. I'm not sure if it was me talking a mile a minute or dropping things onto his desk.

Vicks sighed wearily, leaning back in his chair. " Just… Just finish filling out the form and I'll give it to Chief," he motioned to the form I had brought with me, on his desk. " I'm sure Wilde will get something, and you…" he regarded me carefully, wrinkling his nose after a few seconds. " You've been dedicated, and got us another lead. " He paused. " Very good, for a trainee."

Let Thom do the rest, I told myself. They get their credit, let me get… let me and Nick get the rest.

* * *

Marcus wrinkled his nose, trying to breathe through his mouth. I couldn't blame him- the docks was fetid for the bigger folk. Down at our height, it was nothing but trash, grime, and bugs. More than once we had to bat away gnats.

" Rabbit isn't there," Marcus said, peeking back around the shipping container, paw picking at small bit of gauze under his shirt. " Just a bunch of jumped-up wolves." Turning back, the frown on his face deepened. " Any point in helping them if she isn't there?"

There were a _lot_ of wolves, I noticed. All moving towards the large warehouse at the end of this pier, swaggering forwards, puffed-up chests apparent even under all that armor they wore. With those size pistols, it didn't seem like they needed much help, but… I tapped my chin thoughtfully. " Let's be opportunists. From the shadows, like you suggested."

Marcus nodded, turning around and regarding the mass of containers and moving equipment around us. We would have to climb a bit, I thought ruefully.


	21. Chapter 21: It's Almost Done

**Chapter 21: It's Almost Done**

 **(A/N: Sometimes things happen, and we expect them to have all this pomp or at least atmosphere- but it just... happens and life goes on. Doesn't mean it's unimportant, though! Next is the FAQ {really}, so if you have questions, lemme know please!)**

* * *

Doc was supportive, thankfully- said it was fine I didn't get to it this time. We went into my past again, after the usual refreshers, and I think he might have hit a nerve after a while.

" Nick," Doc said, brow furrowed. " This could hurt you, okay? Talking about how it made you feel and actually going back and re-experiencing it..."

I shook my head, arms crossed. " Please. " I said, " Just so I can get it all out now." The look on his face was still skeptical, his eyes wide. " I'll ground if I have to," I said quickly. " I got the stress ball." I held it up from my lap, squeezing it gently. I settled further back into my chair, the wheels shifting back a bit and the hinges speaking.

" You're sure?" Zur looked me up and down, a small frown on his face. " I'm telling you now, this won't be fun." He looked around his office, at his paper-strewn desk, at the candy bowl on the corner table. He settled for scooting closer to me, paws squeezing his pencil and clipboard a little tighter.

" It'll be fine." I said confidently.

* * *

So. The fire. We had ran in with the best supplies we had, had the support of a good chunk of the rest of the city, should've got at least decent, right? Sure, we had wet rags instead of filters, but that's what happens when you got a small budget.

The apartment building was old, one of those you see in the noir flicks. Old air conditioners poking out everywhere, leaking and stuttering. Grimy windows, some of them cracked in places, a few bits of grass poking through the concrete out front... What else? Hot. Lots of yelling and coughing.

Hmm. Hot. You could feel the heat from across the street, could see how it shifted everything around it, how it would catch on something inside and flare up, too bright to look at...

I remember now. Well, I'm choosing too, right?

We... I... ran in, past all the heat and smoke, and I ran into so many families, little kids, old folk, all crying and screaming and begging to be helped out. I think one of the kids had a good burn on his forehead- lots of signed fur. The way they breathed! You would think they ran a marathon, sputtering and trying to get in some clear air. But all that soot stopped that.

Judy ran ahead a lot, I remember. She would bring folk down, they'd bump past me and you could feel them reaching out, like they couldn't- they couldn't see.

We'd go in, and out, and we got as many as we could before the fire-boys made us get out. Judy told me we saved a lot- twelve whole families, or something.

But the thing I remember most is what the firemen brought out. I thought it was trash, piles of soot. Everything looked like a big pile of gray in their arms, at first, but then some of them started squirming around, and… And they would…

They'd stare at you, reaching out and begging for something I couldn't hear. One of them was barely ten years old, I think, a small little mammal, just… gasping and kicking his feet around, trying to sit up and he couldn't even do that. Head to toe, he was covered in soot, sometimes there'd be a flash of fur or burnt muscle. Some part of him would touch the street and he'd start screaming, and then it'd die down. I thought he'd calmed down or the medics gave him something, but I saw that kid in the obituaries the next day.

I didn't see tears on his face, but the _sound_! He kept calling for help, that he couldn't see, that he needed his ma, that this and that hurt… And I could've done something, but I just sat there getting soot rubbed off me. I watched while that boy just stopped moving, staring up at nothing and getting walked past like there was nothing wrong… I could _see_ his chest deflate, like a bag of air, and I just…

* * *

" Nick," I heard, " What's today? Where are we?"

I found myself staring at the floor, my paws squeezing the life out of the little stress ball. I sucked in a deep breath. " May… May 29th, 2015. We're in... in your office at the police station, and I'm sitting in the chair with the bad leg and the green upholstery."

I heard Doc exhale slowly, and I could feel him scooting closer to me. " What's the floor feel like?"

I rubbed my feet against the carpet. " Full of crumbs," I said softly, " Lots of bits from the wrap I brought..."

I heard him shift around, and I picked up my head. " I'm here, that's... that's the past..." His face went from concern to a wide smile, wider than I expected. He leaned back up into his seat, eyeing me carefully and handing me a box of tissues. I pushed them back, focusing on controlling my breathing- too rapid right now.

" Breathe," he said softly. " You're strong, Nick. You define you, no one else." I nodded, eagerly, shifting in my seat and sitting up straight. " What's the need that we can take out of that?"

We kept going. It's hard to explain the feeling afterwards- it's not just a weight taken off, it's… it's nice to have someone not judge you for what you did, to listen and help you find the solution. What feeling is that?

Afterwards, once I left his office, I realized I had been there an extra hour. Doc didn't mention it at all.

* * *

I felt, and he said, that I felt it was alright to try again. No going off script.

So. I went to go interrogate the muskrat again, using the same old questions and getting the same old answers. The real bit didn't come until the guard came to bring him back to his cell, while we were in the hallway, surrounded by the bustle of guards and other prisoners.

" Mason," I muttered, the muskrat's head leaning back towards me, ears perked. " Fuck you."

He stopped mid-step, almost stumbling, actually, into the guard leading him forward. He twisted back, looking at me with what I think was surprise. " I… What?" he said slowly, before letting a small smile creep onto his face. " Ah, wait… Is this you trying to be intim-"

" I'm not going to let this go on," I began, firmly, " What's left of your gang is going to get shut down, and I'm going to make up for all the horrible things you did and made me do." Mason's guard had stopped now, waiting. " I'm done being pushed around by you, and I'm going to do something better with my life instead."

Mason laughed, shaking his head. " That's really cute," he said. " Did you get that from the self-help book you've been reading?" The guard in front tugged him forward, glancing back at me with what looked like... pride? Approval?

I took a deep breath, watching him disappear into the crowd. It _did_ sound cheesy, sure, but I had gotten it off my chest. There wasn't any big fanfare to go with it, no big moment, but I had got to say what I needed to. I knew my purpose, and I was going to prove that idiot wrong.

That was one thing done… Still had Judy's thing left. Joy of joys.

* * *

The smell up here was… well. Rotting wood, the trash from cars and what washed up from the ocean all rotting on the shore, the mold creeping into the building. All enough to keep the two of us breathing through our mouths; Well, the climb up here had helped too- mice are decidedly not meant to climb, but as always, we rise above and persevere.

Marcus peered through the skylight, eyes darting between the marks down below. From what I could see, it was a bunch of prey- rabbits, a few sheep, a ram. Nothing remotely threatening. They were busy sorting through the goods they had brought in from their trucks, a few boxes already on pallets and ready to go… well, that I wasn't sure about. I shifted my gaze from the two rabbits digging through a large crate, peering through another clean spot in the grimy skylight.

The wolves had come in then, having tossed in one of their flashbangs first. I saw it fly through the air, bouncing off of one of the rabbits and landing next to one of the crates. It was an awfully large one, too, a big block of primed metal I could swear was bigger than the rabbit's head. I and Marcus turned, paws over our ears, and after a second we heard a _pop._ Along with screaming.

Marcus leaned back over the skylight along with me. Three wolves from the front, one from the back, covered head to toe in armor, pistols raised- oh, but was that a shotgun? " They've an awfully big armament, no?" I muttered, leaning closer into the skylight. The rabbits were twitching on the floor, and the ram had fallen into one of the corners. I could see a hoof, unmoving. Were the police using lethal weapons now?

The wolves ran to each mark, kicking each in the side and shouting something down at them, guns aimed at either the chest or face. I saw one of them stomp on errant paws or legs. One of the prone rabbits had enough strength to kick out from where he was, knocking the blue-eyed one back a bit, almost sprawling over. The rabbit earned a good stomp on the chest for that, remaining still afterwards. The Gangs Division had some very swell folks in it.

Marcus shook his head. " They've no control," he said sadly. " Is that going to be our opposition, then?" He looked over at me. " Is there even any challenge in dealing with brutes with no finesse?"

I took the opportunity to grasp my young protégé by the shoulder, pointing out the various officers. " See," I told him, " How that blue-eyed one, how his armor is so ill-fitting at the shoulders? Aiming there may prove useful, _if…_ "

This went on for as long as these wolves did their work- although I think most of their opposition was out of combat in the first five seconds, these officers took the better part of an hour to finish scouring around the warehouse. They were armored well, yes, but only around the chest and thighs, and I could see no first aid amongst them…

Marcus and I left with an odd mix of disappointment and elation. The brutes had taken a large chunk of the muskrat's goods, but… They had no skill! A punch here, a stomp there, so much shouting and screaming…

* * *

" Damnit!" the rabbit cried, clutching at his chest. He gave me a real dirty glare, this one- I guess he was trying to be tough. " You broke my ribs, asshole!" He was shouting- I think his ears were broke. The little thing took in another breath, and you could hear those tiny lungs of his stutter. Not like he was dead, though, so the paperwork wouldn't be too bad. Should've gotten it worse, for that kick he landed- felt like I got stepped on by an elephant.

I tapped my pistol against my thigh, a bit down that I had never got to fire the thing. Those heavy flashbangs really did have a kick! Damn near took my eardrums! Vilkas turned over the ram in the corner- that one was staying still, it seemed. Great. All in all, just a bunch of prey-things. Whole lot of loot though- plenty of open boxes with clear contraband. Good enough for a headline, if I say so myself.

I peered into one of the boxes, seeing a bunch of vials. Full of some clear liquid, sealed and with some sort of medical info on the side. Not my area, but still, evidence. I let the rabbit go on as we kept up the search, keeping at least one eye on him.

Five rabbits, a ram, two otters… Pretty good! Lots of expensive-looking loot in the crates… No complaints here! It'd be a good celebration once we got back.


	22. Chapter 22: This is the Right Thing

**Chapter 22: I'm Sure This is the Right Thing**

( **A/N): Some of us become obsessed, and it takes a lot to dissuade the self-righteous. It's the hardest when peole think they're doing it for the right reasons.**

* * *

Thom had done what he was supposed to do, and from the looks of things, he had brought a good amount of loot back. It took a week to go through all the captured gangers and itemize everything. During all that, I got to do a good amount of the interrogations, since I wasn't there and they might be more inclined to talk to a former ganger. Today was one of the last interviews.

"John," I said, paws settled on my lap, " you all did this without getting paid?" the rabbit across from me shrugged, apparently really enjoying the view of the floor. I waited for him to answer, and getting none after a minute, spoke up again. " Was it some promised perks? I remember that was a thing when I was there."

" – can't believe they made you a cop," he mumbled, glancing up. " How fair is that? I just help move things around and pick up dues, and _I'm_ the one that gets stomped on by some crazy wolves."

" If they busted you up, I said, " then we can look into that. We aren't trying to get you all broke up. They'll get whatever they deserve." I glanced up at the camera in the corner of the interrogation room- I wonder if Thom was up in the camera room watching. Might even be waiting outside the door. It'd be nice to see the look on his face right now.

John sighed, finally peering up from his feet. His eyes were dull- the hospital had him stuffed full of painkillers. I was kind of surprised he could form a sentence at this point- no slurring or drooling at all.

" I tell you what went on," he said slowly, " and those wolves will get in trouble?" I nodded, and the rabbit leaned back in his chair, a smile spreading on his face and his paws clenching a bit. " Do I get less time in Juvenile if I tell you everything I know?"

" I-," I paused. John wasn't an adult yet, and that was something that scared me a little. Sha- Mason had a good gang, lots of infrastructure, and he was betting the biggest parts of his operation surviving on some kids. Kids! Did that mean we were doing a good job and making them desperate, or that he didn't care? " Tell me everything," I finally said, " And I'll see about those wolves, okay? And what sentence you get ain't on me."

* * *

Thom paced up and down the hallway, glancing at a few doors as he passed them by. He hadn't spoken much since I had gotten here, just wrinkled his nose a bit and told me to follow him to the interrogation rooms. Right now, we were waiting for Nick to finish his turn with one of the younger kids- I think it was one from Liam's little business. James? Jordan? Something like that. Once the interrogation was done, we were going to go and get debriefed by Vicks and the Gangs commander.

I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Nick would have to be done soon, and that meant I was going to run into him again. It had been a few days since I had last seen him, without any sort of contact. I had tried to use that time to figure out what to say to him, but I… Well, I didn't know how to apologize. I got you hurt, Nick, so sorry? That sounded moronic, and he would see right through that. Filling out some paperwork would only do so much, too…

" Judy," I heard Thom say. " You gonna keep looking all down? Did your little mouse investigation go bad or something?" He had stopped in front of me, peering down with a look of concern. Once I looked up, he gave a small smile. " I'm sure you'll find another case that'll go somewhere, we got plenty that could use some-"

I shook my head. " The mice are important too, Thom," I said, watching him tilt his head in confusion. " They're the key to finding Panya- we get her-" I stood up from the wall, stretching, "- and we'll put a big dent in any more crimes. If she could take out the Director of Car- the, uh, Secretary of Transportation, then there's a good chance she'll take a shot at anyone that gets in her way."

" Including nosy cops," he pointed out. " You think you're ready for that?" I nodded, and he rolled his eyes. " She isn't the kind of lady that's going to feel bad, " he countered. " And how are you even going to catch her? You gonna crawl in the mouse hole after her?"

Sometimes, I feel like the only one who cares. Can't anyone give some sort of support? Do I have to go around looking like an obsessed psycho just because I'm the only one that wants to help? Vicks says it's too much hassle, Thom keeps naysaying…

I shook my head, " We get the community on our side, right? And then we catch her in a sting or something. We-" I paused, a loud yawn coming out of my mouth and my eyes suddenly feeling a lot heavier. The coffee had worn off, then.

I rubbed my face, and continued. " We get her, we help a whole community be safer. Okay?" I said, arms crossing again. " And- no, I know it's weird for me to care!- but we shouldn't ignore it just because it's going to be difficult. That's not-" I yawned again, and Thom waved me off, shaking his head.

That's around when Nick had come out, and I swear I could feel my heart in my throat when I heard the door crack open. I cursed myself for the lack of coffee. It just had to give out now!

* * *

Getting nearly tackled by a rabbit at eight in the morning was not what I expected to happen. But as soon I stepped out that interrogation room, I found a very tired-looking and messy doe rabbit trying to give me a hug from my side. I could feel her arms trying to reach around, her face nuzzling my arm. She was mumbling something about how it felt like forever and how happy she was to finally see me.

I think she missed me.

Thom stared at the two of us, with an expression I can only call a mix of confusion and frustration. I shrugged, and he sighed. " We have to go get debriefed," he said, firmly. " Can you two please stop doing that _during work?"_ He eyed me meaningfully, for some reason.

" I'm not the one hugging up on folk!" I countered, and he shifted his gaze to Judy. " She's the one grabbing onto me, okay?" She still hadn't let go, even with me trying to slip my self out. I don't think she was even speaking real words at this point, just mumbling.

Me and Thom stared in silence for a bit. I think that was the one of the few times we agreed on something. I sighed, shrugged again. " Just- I'll be there in five minutes. Okay?"

* * *

" Nick!" she said, glancing up at and squeezing me. " I- I did a whole lot while you were gone!" she said, speaking rapidly. " I got to talk to a lot of mice, and I met some families, and I got to see how hard it can be taking care of so many little pups- Do you know how much it costs to take care of mice babies? They've got a big cultural stigma on-"

" Judy," I said, having given up on trying to get out. " You're still trying to get to Panya?" I don't think she understood what she was getting into. " Look, take it from someone that _met_ her, okay? She's not well, she doesn't like cops coming into trying to help-"

" But listen!" she pleaded. " I- I took these three days, right? And I was thinking of how I hurt you, and how I don't listen to you or think about what you want, how I'm selfish, and-" she yawned, her head falling against my arm briefly. Thankfully, we were the only ones in this part of the station right now. "- and I realized," she said, " that I need to do things on my own and actually help folk. I can't keep taking credit, so if I work on my own on a real problem…"

" Panya isn't something you can do on your own!" I said, her face dropping and her eyes turning glum and dull. " You think I want you to get hurt? No! Why not try and do something simpler, that doesn't involve you dealing with a bunch of psychos?"

Her grip loosened on me a bit, and I could see the hurt in her face. " I, I just-" she said, voice quavering. " She got you hurt! She hurt my best friend, and I don't want her to get away with that!" she stomped her foot, voice raising. " I don't want her to go around hurting other people, either, or to come back and hurt you more…" She grabbed my paw, squeezing roughly. She didn't notice me grimace.

" You mean a whole lot to me," she said softly. " I haven't shown that to you, but I do, and I'm going to make it up to you and help a whole lot of folk at the same time." She nodded, ignoring me calling her name. " That's our job as cops, right? Help the helpless and get rid of the bad."

I managed to meet her gaze. " Judy," I said slowly, " You know that it's been a week, right? Not three days? When's the last time you went to sleep?"

She thought for a bit, and her looking away from me meant I could really get a look at her. She was out of uniform, in a t-shirt and jeans. The shirt had a few small stains on it, wrinkled. The jeans had a few smudges of dirt and a bundle of pens and paper stuffed into a side pocket. Her paws and feet were twitchy, her face was worse than John's- she had a thousand-yard stare, her eyelids constantly drooping. She was slurring some of her words.

" It's been three days," she said firmly. " You got out the hospital only a few days ago… I was working with Luke to get a feel for the community…"

I heard Thom shout at us from the end of the hallway, and we made our way towards the conference rooms.

Judy is an all-or-nothing rabbit, and this was one of her all things. I needed to talk to her once we were done here…. It's one thing to be angry at someone, but to let them get this obsessed and losing sleep? I'm not trying to get her to go crazy.

I'll have to keep an eye on her.

* * *

Nick thinks I'm crazy too. But I'm doing this for him, and all those other folk that got hurt. Still so much to talk about, still so much to make up for… But I'm going to do this right, and I'll make sure that Nick gets his credit for this case…

If I'm doing all this good, why does he have to look at me like that? Maybe... No, just keep going, it'll be fine.


	23. Chapter 23: I Really Hope

**Chapter 23: I Really Hope**

 **(A/N: The end, for now. I'd like to note they never got to talk like they wanted at the beginning of this. For all of you who've read this far, thanks a bunch for motivating me to continue writing and as always, I love your feedback and comments.**

* * *

Making our way into the conference room, I tried to meet eyes with everyone inside, see how peeved they were. Commander nodded at me, Thom and a few others from Gangs ignored me, and Zur smiled at me. All was normal, then. We found some seats, and thankfully they went off talking about the case again.

"So," Thom said, glancing down at a notepad in front of him, "All in all, we managed to get a whole lot of stolen goods from that warehouse, a lot of folk got picked up too… That'll be some really good places for information, I think. "He glanced up at me. "Nick, any idea how we can get them to talk some more?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. " We could… Well, the younger ones, they're doing this for money or to do something other than sit around in bad neighborhoods. A lot of this stuff brings purpose, at least, in my experience it does." I shrugged, " It helps that they don't have to hurt anyone, it's just moving boxes."

I heard Judy scribbling quickly on her notepad. " But does that mean that they won't know much?" she said warily, " Couldn't they be a dead end?" Everyone shifted in their seats, silent for a few seconds. Judy took the opportunity to run her mouth for a bit. " We need clear information, right?" she said, " Well, how about we go and canvass the streets a bit? I have a few contacts, and-" her voice rose, her eyes widening, "-we could even knock two things out at once! We get more info for this case, and we can even look into that mouse ganger some more!"

Thom sighed, and I had to hold back my own. She had been waiting for a chance to get that out, hadn't she?

" What does that mouse have to do with us tracking down shipments… Trainee?" said Commander Metz. He'd been sitting at the head of the table rubbing his forehead for the most of her spiel. " Remember that our main goal is to cut off that Rainforest gang's supply line, not to clean up other messes," he said, " If you want to go and clear up some side case, go and talk to your supervisor and-"

" But the mouse killed one of our main witnesses!" she blurted out, " Wounded one of our officers, tried to kill a whole family, even!"

I could see Metz bite his lip, shaking his head a little. Zur had his face drawn up, muttering to himself and writing something in his notes. That was about the point that the conversation drifted towards the mouse. To put it in a nice and concise format, it basically consisted of a back-and-forth of 'the mouse is dangerous' and 'we can't do anything, please stop' for twenty minutes. I really wish I was exaggerating.

Judy crossed her arms, " – using all that to get folk to listen to her! If we don't address it-"

" Nick," Metz said slowly, " do you have anything productive to add to this meeting?"

I glanced up from my notepad doodles and tried to block out the rabbit next to me. "I think if we got gangs using poison, then we need to carry antidotes on us. The real problem, though, is that we have two gangs interested in making more money off of transportation. We'll have to keep an eye on whoever takes that spot now."

Thom nodded again, and I heard Vilkas agree. "That spot will be full of bribes," Thom said, "Maybe… We can use them as a double agent? Let them get bribed and have them give us whatever info they get?"

 _That_ was the hard part. Folk could always lie, and everyone has some sort of exploitable weakness. Family, women, money… I brought that up to the group and we went on another argument. I think by the end of it, we had spent an hour and a half in this room. I don't think we came up with anything conclusive beyond making sure we catch all the shipments and keep our contacts close.

So, in short, we ended up not agreeing on anything and deciding to rely on folk that lie to us half the time. Wonderful. We would have another meeting in a week's time, to 'formulate a plan of action to curb gang activity'.

* * *

"They're being stupid," Judy complained, shaking her head. The meeting had broken up, finally, and we headed home.

" Yeah, but that's every meeting," I said, "Just wait until your Detective supervisor calls you in for _your_ meetings- you'll be there for three hours and have nothing done."

She sighed, "I really hope you're wrong, Nick." Her eyes fell to the floor of the station, and it was a while before she spoke again- we had gone out the back door and were on the sidewalk by that point. I had been glancing in one of the local bakeries when I heard her speak up.

"You know," she said slowly, " That reminds me…. Thom and all the other guys in Gangs… They're so focused on one thing at a time, and Thom only cares about catching gang members and cleaning up the streets. They're all jaded, and they give up really fast on things they can't do."

"It'd be a waste of effort to them," I offered, " Commander always tells us that we keep a lot of folk safe, and wasting time means that there's more chances of them getting hurt."

"But what if the thing we don't focus on ends up being important?" she countered, walking further up the sidewalk. The crowd was thick today- everyone was out on lunch. I hurried after her. I heard some mice squeaking by my feet, one of them trying to get my attention for some campaign.

"Are you still going after her?" I said after catching up, "You know that she's not the only one that's gotten me cut up or in the hospital, right? And that I'm probably going to run into more folk like that eventually…"

" Yeah, but those folk will be bigger than a mouse, " she snapped, " They won't be able to hide in a shoe, or in someone's pocket. They're a big problem, and unlike your Division, I'm going to do something about it."

"And how are you going to get her out to put some cuffs on her?" I said, tone light, "Put some cheese out, maybe? Climb into the cracks after her? Mice have no collarbone, you know, they can squeeze anywhere. "

Judy tapped the side of her head. "I'll have to think smart."

I wanted to say that it was doomed to fail with her having to be smart, but I bit my tongue on that teasing. She's on her soapbox, let her vent and maybe I can get to her after. That line of thought is what kept my mouth shut for the next few minutes, as she went on about how this Luke guy was telling and showing her all the horrible things murids had to go through, and how Panya was exploiting them.

I told her about the mice I passed by, and she smiled. "They're raising awareness," she said, " and campaigning for a seat in City Hall… Luke was telling me he wanted to run for something that'll get mice into the public eye more."

That was interesting, sure, but the part I remember is how these mice she's chatting up live in her apartment building. I tried to tell her that Panya could know where she lives, but she shook her head.

" Our job is to help folk," she said, mostly to herself. "And… And as a Detective, my job is to solve crimes that are tough, right? To deal with tough problems. I can't just back out because I might get hurt. _You_ get hurt all the time!" she glanced at me, eyes glum again. " We can either be like Thom, and focus on reacting and maybes and be all bitter about crime, or I could do something and help a lot of folk!"

We talked it over on the bus, on the walk to her apartment, and in all that time she didn't want to give up. Said it was too important for her to, and that she owed me for everything that happened.

She's dedicated and brave, I'll give her that. But I'm not so sure that it's building her up at all- I feel like she's breaking apart, and that this going on is the beginning of it. Hopefully I'm wrong.

I really hope I'm wrong.


	24. Chapter 24: Redirecting Rabbits

**Epilogue: Redirecting Rabbits**

 **(A/N: I think I mentioned last time- Judy put in paperwork for Nick, yes? And knows Thom's wife, and is keen on making things up to Nick…)**

* * *

Being the smart guy that I am, I managed to put some pieces together while escorting the detective home. She wants to chase mice and be the best detective possible, and she wants to do good by me. She still owes me for everything, and she _did_ promise that she would take time out for me a… Wow, was it only two weeks ago that we started this? She definitely owes me then.

I nudged her. " I have an idea, Detective," I said.

Judy mumbled and glared at me, still fishing for her keys. Her neighbors, the Ornoxes, whatever they were called, stumbled down the hallway with their suitcases- finally back from the vacation. They mumbled a hello, squeezing past us, which Judy didn't notice. " I already said no, Nick. This is important," She put a hand on her apartment door, grumbling and digging into her other pocket. " Stupid keys," she muttered.

I rolled my eyes. " How about…" I met her eyes and smiled, and she paused digging for a while. " I teach you how to really be a good Detective, all the stuff learned from experience? _And_ , I'll even throw in a few meetings with Doc Zur." She pursed her lips, and I held my paws out defensively. " Doc knows how bad guys work, and even he taught me some things about being a really good cop." I placed a paw on her shoulder, squeezing softly. " Best thing is, I can even do all these lessons for free!"

" There's a catch," she said, glancing at the paw on her shoulder. " What do you want?"

I widened my smile, bringing my face closer to hers. " I could really use someone to talk to and get all this stress out," I said softly and sadly, " My best friend promised me a few weeks ago she would, but now she's all busy and I can't-"

"I'll do it! I will!" she said, eyes wide. "I did forget, didn't I?" she crossed her arms, my paw falling off. " Just give me a time and a day, and I'll listen all you want. And… And then you teach me, okay? That could help a lot, and I'd get to spend time with-" she paused. " I'd get to make up for everything."

" Good," I said, " Keep doing it and you'll get so many promotions and medals, just-"

Judy stiffened, stifling a shout and stamping a foot. " The paperwork!" she clutched her forehead. " Dammit, the paperwork!"

That was new! Gave me a nice warm feeling to see the innocent rabbit curse. But I didn't have time to question her about it, because she ran off downstairs. I caught up fast enough to see her trip over her own feet on one of the landings. One of her neighbors tried to help her up, but she sprung up, muttering something about phone calls, before sprinting away.

* * *

I was expecting Ashleigh to be happy, to give me a nice hug when I got home, maybe even have something planned out for us to spend time together… But apparently, that's not happening!

" Why does Judy have to call me and tell me that she's worried you're treating Nick like crap?" she said, arms crossed. I held my paws up defensively, and she shook her head. " She told me you're talking down to him, that you-"

"I don't, I don't!" I said defensively, " He's still new, so we have to break him in, okay? And you'd do the same thing! Walking off the street like he did," I scoffed, " Shady past, making all these digs and me and getting all those cops hurt…"

But Ash just shook her head again, pacing around the living room and speaking rapidly. " You're acting like you got a squeaky-clean past, Thom! Honestly? You think all your friends are good folk?"

" _I_ didn't join a gang!" I countered, pointing at her, " I busted my behind in school, I did the training, I _earned_ my spot! And that smug-ass thinks he can march in just because Judy roped him into it…"

" So you have to treat him like crap?" she said, " Honestly, that's so hypocritical! You make all this talk about…"

Me and Nick are definitely going to have some words.

* * *

I forget how hot it can be in a building with a broken AC. I had just about sweated through my undershirt at this point. Hopefully she won't complain about that in that car.

" So, guys!" Judy turned her head back towards the assorted gaggle of bored teenagers and anxious parents. " Like Officer Wilde was saying, there's a whole lot of opportunity out there when you guys finish your learning here, okay?" she smiled, " Lots of it high-paying, no matter if you wanted to use your hands or your brain…"

We were actually doing what we were assigned to, for once. Community policing twice a week, for the… down-on-its-luck community that me and Judy had cleared out a while ago. The parents ate it up- anything to get their kids into a good job and out this broken-down block. We spoke here, we checked on the lady drunk, we did paperwork, we walked around. Better than beating up rats.

I heard one of the kids by me sigh, loudly too. His mom poked him in the back, and then went off arguing for the next few minutes. I think one of the teens in the front row had fallen asleep. James was staring at Judy, of course, and I think he had started catching flies with all the time his mouth had been open.

The presentation ended after a few more minutes of Judy being the super-nice cheerleader, and the parents and kids either left as fast as they could or swarmed us. James and some of the boys glued themselves to Judy, smiling and making jokes, while I got the shy-looking ones and their moms.

The young sheep that got nudged towards me stuttered something, and I smiled and waited for him to try again. His mom smiled at me, and the kid glanced at my uniform. " Hi," he mumbled, " I was wondering… How'd you get those things on your shirt? Does everyone get them, or do you gotta work for them, or…" he shuffled his feet. Hooves. " They look cool. "

I glanced at the ribbons over my nameplate. Judy got me good- I didn't think she'd manage to complain enough to get me two new ones. I'll have to try that myself sometime.

I pointed at the green-and-white one, " You gotta rescue someone for this one, okay? That something you want to do?" He nodded, said it sounded cool. He went on asking about what he could do to start and how the pay was (I tried to be diplomatic about this).

This should work fine! I keep Judy doing community work, and she'll be so wrapped up in helping this place grow that there'll be no mouse to worry about. And, I get a second person to complain to for free after work. Still, she's aware of the crappier parts of town, now. I'll have to keep an eye on her, be the good partner I am.

Just a few more months until probation is done. Just have to wait until then.

Just have to be patient.


	25. Chapter 25:FAQ

**YtD 2 FAQ**

 **Hello! I've been gone for exams and final projects. But now I have a bunch of free time to write and refine things. On a critical note, I'm happy to see that the second story got better received- no 'please get an editor' community tags, and plenty of favorites and follows. Well, plenty for someone like me. I hope I can continue to produce good work in the future- I know I still have my kinks to work out; I'm no good at endings, for one!**

 **But, I promised an FAQ a month ago, I think. Here go the questions I received.**

* * *

 **What's the meaning behind the story title? Why a year?**

Well, according to certain police procedures:

 **Police Officer II.** A Police Officer I who completes one and one‑half years of service must be **_automatically_** advanced.  
A Police Officer I is a probationary officer who automatically advances to Police Officer II upon successful completion of his/her probationary period. A Police Officer may be assigned to a foot beat, a black and white patrol car, bicycle patrol, Mounted Unit, a two-wheel motorcycle or a specialized unit such as S.W.A.T… [and] is considered as a probationary officer and placed under the supervision of a higher ranking officer, normally a Police Officer III Field Training Officer.

Nick had a year to go because that's the rules for new cops. Detective trainees can't be on probation:

 **Detective Trainee-Defined.** A Detective Trainee is a Police Officer III who performs in all areas of investigation such as burglary, robbery, and forgery under the close direction of an experienced detective for the purpose of exposing the officer to investigative techniques used in the field; performs preliminary and follow‑up investigations, gathers evidence, prepares reports, obtains complaints, makes arrests and testifies in court; and performs related duties

 **Detectives.** The Probationary Detective Performance Checklist, Form 01.87.05, shall be completed for probationary detectives. Detective supervisors shall evaluate performance on an ongoing basis and regularly document the progress on the Checklist. Each probationary detective must complete the training by being signed off as "Competent" in all of the categories and tasks by the end of the six-month probationary period.

* * *

 **Since Nick continues to hurt his own career in order to help Judy's, what kind of friend is she to still take advantage of his actions?**

The Ace Detective Hopps sees her taking the job as paying Nick back for his hard work. Saying no would mean denying the favors he took to get her a slot in the Detective position in the first place, and Judy won't stand that. She also wanted the spot in the first place- just not alone. She was waiting for Nick to finish his probation before they tried out for spots.

* * *

 **Judy is awfully calm for someone having gone through a fire and getting pawed at. Did you forget to write reactions to those events?**

No- in my head, Judy is pushing them away and focusing on her job. If Judy devoted herself to being a cop at such a young age, then she'd know what to expect at that point. Anything bad would just be part of the job, something that she has to learn and grow from- in her head, at least. She's a big believer in good being difficult.

She does have some symptoms of PTSD though, no matter how much she pushes things away. Lack of sleep, black-and white thinking… Nick has the mood swings and depression. They're working through it, in their own ways.

* * *

 **What happened to Liam, that rabbit from the first one?**

He's in jail, court case done and everything. He's just an old man at the end of the day, with a small amount of power that was easy to take away. But that was the point- Nick led her to Liam's area so she could get an easy recommendation. Nick would have to take down the Rainforest Gang anyway, so why not help out the one who got him the job too?

* * *

 **How's Nick know so much about drugs for a small-time swindler?**

It's something Nick is familiar with growing up and being around the smaller mammal gangs- poison gives an edge in a fight, or in an assassination. For instance, he knows Panya's drug of choice in stabbings is sodium thiopental.

* * *

 **Where did a bunch of mice get lethal poison?**

Adisha, from a long time ago. Remember Mason's rats? They got their doses from an outside source, and Panya took the opportunity to take some from them.

* * *

 **Where there any themes or motifs?**

 **'** Rise above'. Tabby is a drunk partially because drinking is something fun to do, Panya uses poison to have an edge, while they and the other main characters are trying to make their lives better. Mason wishes people could rise above stupidity and empathy, Nick wants more money and opportunity for the little guy, Judy wants prestige and security for the downtrodden, Panya wants public opinion to change, and more opportunity for murids.

* * *

 **Shani, Panya, Adisha… What's with those names? They're out of place.**

They're pseudonyms, or most of them are. Panya is Swahili, a girl's name meaning mouse. Shani is Hebrew and Hindi, meaning red for the former and the latter being the namesake of a god in Hindi theology. Apara is Nigerian/Yourba, meaning 'he who comes and goes'. Adisha means 'without direction', and is Hindi. Mason is from the city, as is Panya. Adisha is a foreigner.

* * *

 **What's the motivation for the gangers? They want to raise train prices? Isn't that silly?**

It's odd, I think, and transportation fares changing is something that happens often enough that it might work without causing a huge uproar or investigation- blame it on rising cost of train maintenance, new equipment, etc. The idea was to raise the price just a little bit, the gang that accomplished that taking that extra cash as income for themselves.

Mason just wants more money and power, keeping his little empire growing- same as Adisha. They rationalize everything they do and how they treat people as helping them do more than they could normally, either due to lack of education or ability. It's kinder to use people as tools- something productive- than let them sit around and do nothing, in their minds.

Panya is keen on making things better for their community. Murids have a very quick breeding cycle, and the ones Judy's met aren't keen on birth control. Too many mouths to feed, not enough money, people get desperate. Panya is one such person. They're determined to make things better using the tools available to them. Murids are split on whether that means getting smarter and eventually getting better jobs, or taking whatever job is available just to feed their families. A lot of Panya's followers are disaffected students and workers. She fancies herself a hero, a little bit- the one person doing something of worth.

* * *

 **Why the focus on mental health? Why not more action or investigation?**

I felt that the mental effect of events are not often explored in stories, that heroes tend to brush it off or not bring it up again unless it's the climax of the story and the plot says there needs to be a mental breakdown. People who regularly go through stressful situations- firefighters, cops, paramedics- are going to have some residual effects from everything they experience, even if they end up being minor. Having Nick's arc focus on the effects, for me, shows a different side to his character and explores the difficulties in the job also wanted to show that even if someone goes through a horrible situation, it can be worked through and conquered- Nick isn't letting his problems keep him completely down.

And with action scenes- my mindset right now is to keep them sparse, so that when they do happen, it's not just the next bad guy and his mooks, it's something dangerous. Do it too much and it becomes boring, right?

* * *

 **Will there be more stories?**

Yes. I aim to write more main ones, maybe a few side stories and drabbles. I'm open to requests and things y'all feel should happen.

* * *

 **Will the new stories be as depressing?**

No! Life has highs and lows. Nick and Judy are just getting through a low point. Nick is trying to get and keep Judy at a high point by the end of this one.

* * *

I'll add any more pertinent questions if they come along. For now, I'm going to finish writing the new stories. I hope it'll exceed everyone's expectations!


End file.
